Casa Rosada

The construction of the Casa Rosada Palace began at the end of the 16th century . As early as 1594 , shortly after the founding of the city by Juan de Garay , the fort of Juan Balthazar of Austria was built on this site, in 1713 it was rebuilt into the fortified castle of San Miguel, which became the residence of the Spanish colonial authorities. In 1825, by order of President Bernardino Rivadavia, the castle was decorated in the neoclassical style and remained the seat of the Buenos Aires authorities until 1857 , when, by order of President Justo José de Urquiza, it was dismantled for the construction of a customs building erected in the Italian style by Edward Taylor and became the most a large city building ^[7] .

In 1862, with the establishment of the presidency, the administrative wing of the surviving castle became his residence, under Presidents Bartolome Miter and Domingo Sarmiento reconstructed with the addition of courtyards and a patio and painted dark brown in pink, which was to become a symbol of reconciliation of the two main political parties of the country - unitarists and federalists, whose colors were respectively white and red.

In 1873, the Central Post Office was built near the president’s residence on the project of Karl Kilberg in the style of the Second Empire .

In 1882, by order of Julio Roca, the presidential residence was designed by Enrique Aberg in the style of the post office, and in 1884 Francesco Tamburini connected them in the Italian style. The project of joining the building through a monumental arch, access to which on Balkars Street and the construction of which began in 1886, with the subsequent expansion of the building on Avenida Rivadavia Avenue, completed in 1890. This put an end to what remained of the old fortress, preserved some of the walls and one of the windows that can be seen in the modern Museum of the Bicentennial. After the demolition of customs in 1898 , the eastern wing of the palace was built in its place with a view of Puerto Madero ^[8] . Thus, the construction of the palace was completed.

In 1910, the French architect Norbert Meillart built the Winter Garden on the east side of the building in the form of a gallery with columns on the ground floor and a garden located on the ground floor. The glass roof was supported by iron columns and there were indoor plants, a table with wicker rocking chairs and carpets. This garden was part of the reconstruction made by President Roque Saens Peña, who, due to an illness that prevented him from moving, became the only president who used Casa Rosada as a permanent home. In 1927, this garden was closed, and the building, adding two office blocks on the facade, was extended to Columbus Park ^[9] .

In 1937, at the initiative of President Agustin P. Justo, following the general opinion of the intellectuals of his time, he decided that the building should be completely destroyed in order to create a vista from May Square to Rio de la Plata, as well as to extend Avenue Avenida de Mayo to the Puerto Madero district ^[9] . At the beginning of 1938, the demolition of part of the old post office and telegraph building began, which looked out onto Victoria Street (today Ippolito Yrigoyen Street), thus reducing the south side of the building by 17 meters. But in February 1938 he became president of Roberto Marcelino Ortiz, who in April decided to suspend the demolition of the building and ordered the reconstruction of the facade on Victoria Street. Thus, a new facade was built on Irigoyna Street and it was decided to use the demolished part to expand the road, while promoting the construction of the Palacio Hacienda Palace . In addition, it was necessary to transfer the exit to the metro station Ploshchaya Maya, which was on a narrow street. Although this is not obvious at first glance, this restructuring affects the symmetry of the facade, moving south from the central arch and means the loss of an important part of the building built in 1878.

In 1955, the military opposed President Juan Domingo Peron bombed the building, causing great damage. Commander Nestor Noriega dropped a bomb on a building that completely destroyed the conservatory. In the end, he was replaced by offices.

In 1942, during the reconstruction of the water supply system from Paseo Colon to Yrigoyen Street, a section of the underground part of the former customs was excavated. It was decided to integrate it with the remnants of the old fort in order to form a historical museum (Casa Rosad Museum), which was opened in 1957, where things belonging to former presidents are located and stored, such things as belts, canes, books, furniture ^[9] .

The remains of the former fort were partially excavated in 1991 , and are included in the Casa Rosada Museum. Located behind the building, these works took place along Avenida Paseo Colon and united Casa Rosada with Columbus Park behind it. Also during this period, the building was used as a film set for the movie Evita. Which starred Madonna and Antonio Banderas. The film crew personally asked for permission from President Carlos Saul Menem for the scene where Madonna performed the song Don't Cry for Me Argentina from the balcony of Casa Rosad, permission was obtained. In 1998, the president himself commissioned a team of specialists to restore the main facade, in particular, they were looking for a new shade of pink, which was most reminiscent of the original color, and that since 1989 the building looked like one pale weak tone due to an error when choosing a paint ^[10] , and the facade from Columbus Park flaunted vegetation in abundance growing on stucco. And finally, changes were made to the interior, as well as the restoration of the Blanco Hall ^[11] . The main facade was covered with huge fabric, showing the color that the building will look after repainting using a new pink tone, but on December 10, with the participation of President Fernando de la Roi, and a number of experts who believed that the tone was too intense, and contrasted with the pale tone of the three other facades therefore did not repaint ^{[12] [13]} . After Menem left, restoration work was paralyzed and the 2001 economic crisis stopped her for more than three years ^[14] .

Only under President Nestor Kirchner, work was resumed. In 2006, he began an ambitious project ^[15] , with the repainting of the three facades that were left unrestored and the restoration of the facades that were overgrown with vegetation grown on plaster ^[16] , the facade was also repainted with a view of May Square to make it into one color with others ^[17] . But he also went further, destroying the technical mezzanines and temporary walls that had been erected in recent decades to create more work space ^[18] . In addition, he deleted what Fernado De la Roi left in the building in December 2001. Columbus Park was transformed into the de facto private garden of Casa Rosada, causing controversy because it is a public place ^{[19] [20]} . The work was continued under President Cristina Fernandez, who, in addition to restoring halls, mosaic floors with missing pieces, or paintings that were varnished in the twentieth century, she opened a series of thematic halls devoted to various areas of culture and history of Argentina ^[21] .

To celebrate the bicentennial of the May Revolution in 2010, some changes were made and Museo Bicentenario opened. On October 18, 2010, the president opened a large gnomon watch that crowns the central arch from 50 Balkars Street, donated by a watchmaking firm. As the plans of the architect Tamburini found out, this watch was planned in the original design of 1890 ^[22] .

Currently, the sights of the palace include:

• The cabinet of Rivadavia is the working residence of the president, named after the first president;
• Hall of busts, where busts of legitimately elected presidents of Argentina are exhibited (the last in 2003 was a bust of Raul Alfonsin )
• The Palace Museum, located in the preserved premises of Fort San Miguel.

White Hall (Blanco Hall)

The White Hall has oak flooring, which was originally brought from Belgium in 1903 and was rebuilt to celebrate the bicentenary of the May Revolution, so a festive dinner was held in it and in neighboring rooms with the participation of international leaders. The design and original design of this room was designed by architect Francesco Tamburini. Columns are arranged along its perimeter in a composite order ( Corinthian order ), it has reliefs with grotesque motifs in the form of vases, birds, acanthus sheets and a shield with the coat of arms of the country. In the center of the room is a bronze gold-colored chandelier made in Buenos Aires by Casa Azaretto Hnos. It weighs 1250 kg and has 192 lamps. And also there are numerous sconces installed throughout the hall.

On the ceiling of the hall is the work of the Italian artist Luigi De Servi, created in 1910 in honor of the centenary of the May Revolution. This picture is an allegory of the memory of two key moments in the history of Argentina: the Revolution of May 1810 and July 9, 1816, on the day of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence of Argentina. In the center of the hall is a sculpture representing a bust of the country, the work of Italian sculptor Ettore Ximenez made of Carrara marble. Above the bust there is a shield in the form of a national coat of arms made of bronze and placed on a marble board of various colors. Above him, two angels made of wood hold trumpets of glory. This ornament was originally in the Forest de París hall in 1910. In the right corner is a bust of General San Martin, created by Philippine sculptor Felix Pardo de Tavera. The bust of General Manuel Belgrano, located in the left corner, was made by the sculptor Juan Carlos Ferraro Argentina.

Blue Hall ( Salón Azul )

Located in the basement of Casa Rosada, the hall contains works of various national artists, various styles and pictorial trends. For example, Argentinean landscapes depicted by local painters provide a wide range of views of the provinces of Argentina.

The collection is divided into periods and schools. The hall is homogeneous in architecture, the walls are blue, there are gold ornaments, magnificent chandeliers and a wooden carved table with gold lining and a marble countertop (made in 1900) in neo-baroque style in the style of French Louis XIV.

Room of Thinkers and Writers and Bicentennial of Argentina

September 16, 2009 the hall was opened. This hall invites you to get acquainted with the great representatives of national culture. Portraits of Raul Scalabrini Ortiz, Arturo Jaeretch, Jorge Luis Borges, Alejandro Pizarnika, Maria Elena Walsh, Rodolfo Walsh, Enrique Santos Disepolo, Julio Cortasar, Mariano Moreno, Juan Bautista Alberdi, Domingo Faenstaloolopol It is a tribute to men and women who are part of the historical, cultural and political heritage of Argentines. This room was equipped with everything necessary for media coverage of official government acts.

Eva Peron Hall

This hall, located where the vice president’s office used to be, passed the most significant moments of Eva Duarte’s social and personal life. Here are: documents, artwork and photographs of a woman who marked the history of Argentina. It was used by Eva as one of its offices when Eva Peron was the head of the Peron Foundation. The hall consists of two parts: a dining room and a living room. The dining room has a large wooden table and 28 oak chairs, a fireplace with a decorative wooden facade in the Neo-Renaissance style (p. 1890), two impressive identical mirrors and gilded bronze chandeliers with crystal lampshades. The ceiling is decorated with stucco molding of various reliefs, shapes and colors, with frescoes of allegories on a heavenly background and gold stars of the Argentine provinces on the shield. 1890 year.

Argentinean Scientists Hall

The Argentinean Scientists Hall was opened on September 1, 2009, and previously operated as the Main Room. Here are portraits of three Argentinean scientists - Nobel Prize winners in science, Bernardo Usay , Cesar Milstein and Luis Leloir ; as well as former Minister of Health Ramon Carrillo and Salvador Mazza, Florentino Amegino and Rene Favaloro .

South Hall

The hall is connected on one side with the Stained Glass Gallery, and on the other with the White Hall. Being near the White Hall, sometimes it served as a continuation of this hall. Its architectural and aesthetic appearance has remained almost untouched. Its appearance is more strict than white, it has columns and mosaics on the ceiling as well as decorative elements. Its columns are richly decorated with bright relief motifs. A bronze chandelier with crystal elements hangs from the ceiling and besides it there are sconces placed on the wall.

North Hall

In order to enter this hall you must go through the White Hall. For a long time it was used for government meetings and, therefore, is known by the name of the hall of the Agreements. Given that this is its main function, furniture is the most important element of the decor; made from Victorian mahogany in 1949. Also along the hall are old radiators that warmed the hall. Historically, busts of presidents have previously adorned this hall. Today they are located in the Hall of Fame. Today, the North Hall is mainly used for meetings.

Indigenous Hall

This hall was opened on April 14, 2014 and replaced the previously existing Columbus Hall. It is located on the ground floor of the Government Palace in front of the Rio de la Plata, and has wonderful views of Columbus Square. During the restoration, the ceiling was restored, as well as the parquet floor. In the spacious living room, the walls and columns are painted in a color that symbolizes the earth. On the walls are located graphic panels on which, in the form of a timeline, the history of various peoples of Argentina. The carpets are red and look like Indian, just like the chairs. In the center of the hall you can see a table in the form of a cross of a chakan (“a cross of four steps” in Quechua and “cross four bridges” in aymara), which is a synthesis of the worldview of the Andean peoples. At this place, a modern interactive system was organized, with the help of which, through touch screens and a headphone, the visitor can access the full audio-visual materials about the aborigines of the country. A panel with a photo of Rufina Ibáñez, the last reserve chief of Camusu Aike and a group of women and girls who pose in front of the “Kau” (tents made from guanaco hides), and then many images representing members of the communities. There is also a large number of archaeological works donated by the Ethnographic Museum of Juan Bautista Ambrosetti.

•  

  Hall

•  

  Indigenous

•  

  Peoples

Martin Fierro Hall

In October 2010, this hall was opened in honor of Martin Fierro, a famous character, the hero of the poem Jose Hernandez. On one wall, the image “Martin Fierro” was made with acrylic on canvas by the artist Ricardo Carpani (1990). Jose Hernandez's work unfolds on seven panels that reflect the main scenes of the poem. In this room, you can see, in addition to the works of Carpani, a portrait of the writer Jose Hernandez, silver jewelery by Juan Carlos Parolls and a woolen blanket with an embroidered National Emblem, created in honor of the 100th anniversary of Argentina.

Hall of Honor

Entering through the main entrance to Casa Rosada, passing to the north side of the building, you find yourself in a large hall known as the “Hall of Fame” or the “Gallery of the President of the Nation”, where there are two bas-reliefs made by Jose Fioravanti, symbolizing the Exaltation of the Young Country and Sense of Heroism ”, Located against the wall of the hall. A group of glass doors located in the wall opposite the main entrance indicates a bas-relief “Exaltation of a young country”.

Describing the Hall of Honor, it is necessary to mention the Gallery of Busts, where Carrara marble depicts all deceased Argentinean presidents. The first busts were exhibited in this room between 1883 and 1884, on behalf of President Julio Argentino Roca. Since that time, it has become a tradition to add a bust of the president after the end of his term of office. These busts were originally placed in the North Hall, on the first floor, but in 1973, during the presidency of Alejandro Agustin Lanusse, it was decided to place them in the Hall of Honor by Decree 4022, which governs the placement of the bust of the president, indicating when this will be done. but not earlier than two presidential terms have passed, after the end of his term.

The original decor of the walls and ceilings of the Hall of Honor was made at the end of the nineteenth century, and Italian architectural influence is clearly visible. The ceiling was decorated with a fresco, which was completed in 1913. In 1980, the fresco was removed from the ceiling. At the ends of the hall, there are two impressive marble staircases from which you can go to the first floor of the building where the White Hall is located.

•  

  Hall of Honor

•  
•  

Gallery of Hispanic Bicentennial Patriots

The Gallery of American Bicentennial Patriots was opened May 25, 2010 to mark the 200th anniversary of Argentina. It is located in the center of Casa Rosada and here are portraits of the heroes and politicians of the continent, which are provided by the countries of the region. May 4, 2015, on the fifth anniversary of the election of former President Nestor Kirchner as the first Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), a picture of Kirchner and former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias were added to the image gallery. The photo gallery was removed from Casa Rosada in February 2016 and transferred to the Argentina Bicentennial Museum. ^[23]

Staircase France

This staircase is used as the main access to the halls and presidential rooms located on the first floor of the presidential palace. The staircase is covered with fabric that was manufactured at the Tapestry Manufactory factory, according to the sketch of the artist Alfredo Roll in 1911, representing General San Martin on a white horse, dressed in a military uniform and with two two wings, along the edges of the Argentinean fauna and flora carpet and an autograph is indicated That it is an official gift from the French Republic of Argentina. Walls and ceilings with original paintings, with motifs of the Renaissance. Bronze lamps are French and were placed at the end of the nineteenth century, which operate on electricity, which replaced the pre-existing gas lighting.

Staircase Italy

At the beginning of the stairs is a bronze plaque, its Kingdom of Italy presented to President Roque Saens Peña during his diplomatic mission in Europe; it symbolizes the brotherhood between the two countries. The painting on the ceiling is made with the original rounding. At the end of the stairs is a bronze horse which in the eighteenth century adorned the entrance to the castle of Marly-le-Roi , owned by Louis XIV, and which is now part of the Louvre in Paris.

Palm Yard

Four palm trees planted in 1904 gave the name to the famous courtyard, around which are located the rooms of the northern wing of Casa Rosad. At its center is an art fountain made of iron of French origin, surrounded by flower beds with a perimeter fence made of white Carrara marble with a gray stripe. Galleries on the ground floor are located around the perimeter of the courtyard. On the walls and ceilings are decorative paintings. The restoration of the original floor also continues; tiles were imported from Italy. In addition, frescoes were discovered in the lateral parts of the columns of the arch; these are allegorical frescoes of the courtyard. They are part of the grotesque neorealistic popular imagination of the late nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century. It is believed that these murals were made in preparation for the celebration of the centenary of the May Revolution.

Aljibe Yard

This place is one of the most picturesque areas around Casa Rosada. Located in the south wing of the Palace, this courtyard has in its center a water tank, which was converted in 2011 into a huge vase that has a national emblem.

Courtyard Malvinas Argentinas

Located on the first floor of the palace, the courtyard of Malvinas Argentinas was opened on May 2, 2012, on the day of the 30th anniversary of the death of the cruiser General Belgrano, which killed 323 sailors during the conflict in the South Atlantic. There is a fountain in the courtyard, blue and white tiles are laid, two large pots with separate cups crowned with flowers and a metal mural illustrating the outline of the Falkland Islands.

Plaza Colon

Plaza Colon, part of Columbus Park , located on the eastern facade, was reconstructed and the inauguration took place on December 6, 2007. During the repair, the sidewalks and the fence, which runs along the entire perimeter of the square, were restored. Here, in the wind, a mast with a national flag flutters visible at night, thanks to the illumination. In addition, there is an impuvium , next to which plants decorating Casa Rosada are planted.

Also on Plaza Colon is the Monument to the Victims of the May Square bombing. The monument is dedicated to the victims of the bombing, during which the armed forces attacked Casa Rosada in 1955, when Juan Domingo Peron was president.

Presidential Office

There was once a presidential dining room, and the premises began to be used as an office in 1946, when the President is in the palace, two grenadiers guard the entrance.

Presidential Elevator

This elevator was a gift that Infanta Isabel de Bourbon presented to the President of Argentina when she visited Argentina in 1910. It is carved from oak and has a mirror inside it, as well as a national emblem.

Entrance to Balcarce, 50

The large entrance to the palace through the arch and the courtyards that are in front of the entrance are created on the basis of designs made in different years, according to the projects of various architects.

Casa Rosada is a building that combines elements of architecture of various origins, for example, attics of French origin, Italian loggias and windows designed by architects Aberga and Kilberg, with the influence of the architect Francesco Tamburini .

The building consists of three floors in the western part (Balkars) and four floors (including the underground) in the eastern part, due to the roughness of the landscape from Plaza Maya to Columbus Park , created in the lowlands of the Rio de la Plata, drained until 1890.

The main facade has an axis of symmetry marked on the monumental arch designed by Tamburini, but the symmetry was broken by the demolition of the south wing in 1938. In addition, the loggias on the first floor of the north wing are clearly different from the loggias of the Florentine style of the south wing. There is an eclectic mix of decorations, but the influence of the Italian Renaissance predominates, despite the attic, which was originally covered with slate , and was changed to a bronze coating in 1960. Various ornaments and moldings have been changed in the last hundred years, the attic and moldings with the National Shield, which were replaced by a donor , on cornices, have undergone modernization.

Basement

Here is the Hall of Artists and the Carpani staircase leading to the first floor, from the side of Yrigoyen Street. On this floor, the entrance was from Columbus Park, through three wooden doors that are currently closed.

Also in the basement and adjacent galleries is the museum of Casa Rosada. All museum premises have direct lighting and ventilation. The original structure of the masonry walls of various thicknesses made of plates and small arches of iron or wood.

Ground floor

Entrance from Avenida Rivadavia Avenue leads to the Hall of Honor, where there are sculptures of Argentinean presidents, which serves to receive honored guests. Chess tile floors and ceilings are painted with various images discovered in 1980 after the paint that had been covering them for seventy years was removed. The decision to place the presidential busts in this place was made by President Alejandro Lanusse in 1973. This room overlooks the Palm Courtyard.

The main entrance to the building is visible from Balkarse Street, with balconies on the upper levels and large skylights in the roof allowing you to have natural lighting, which was originally opened by the passage between two separate buildings, and today there is the Gallery of Patriots. From the street of Yrigoyen, the original courtyard designed by Kilberg in 1873 (Courtyard Malvinas Argentinas), where the staircase of the old post office building, acts as one of the building's facades and there is a bronze vase that functions as a fountain, throwing out white and blue water. Only in 1938 was a wall added that separates the courtyard from Yrigoyen Street, after the demolition of the entire southern wing. There is also the Aljibe Courtyard, where there are white marble tiles covering the courtyard, decorated around the perimeter.

Second floor

Two large stairs (the so-called stairs Italy and France) lead to the second floor of the north wing, which houses the White Hall, which serves as the venue for major business meetings of the government: the president and the presidential staff. Here the oath ceremony of ministers and secretaries of state takes place; presentation of credentials by foreign ambassadors accredited in Argentina; receptions of special guests; conclusion of international treaties; speeches by the president of the nation, and sometimes farewell to persons of national importance. Presidential cabinet, then the old hall for protocol ceremonies and the North Hall (former government meeting room). The north wing of the building is built around Palm Yard.

Also on this floor are: Eva Peron Hall, the Hall of Argentinean Scientists and the Gallery of Latin American Patriots, thematic halls opened during the presidency of Cristina Fernandez in the former offices of the Presidium, whose staff moved to other departments. The halls around the Palm Courtyard have natural light and are decorated with Italian mosaic floors restored during the presidency of Cristina Fernandez Kirchner.

Some of its exhibits are in the Argentina Bicentennial Museum. It was created on May 27, 1957 and its collection consists of personal items, portraits, documents and sculptures that served as personal items of the presidents of the country, exhibited no less than thirty years after the end of their term of office. The collection of objects contains the canes of several presidents, including President Julio Argentino Roca . There are also personal cars here, such as MyLord Cabriolet, owned by José Evaristo Uribru, or a lando owned by Julio Argentino Roca and an American car owned by Hipolito Yrigoyenu . Among the furniture, this presidential chair was used during the presidency of Santiago Derki , although there are important objects such as a rocking chair and a desk owned by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento . The museum has personal belongings belonging to the presidents, a bowler hat and cane belonging to Ippolito Yrigoyen, Chinese porcelain that belonged to Bernardino Rivadavia and a set of postcards belonging to Julio Argentino Roca.

•  

  Night view of the palace

•  

  Entrance and guards

•  

  Bust room

•  

  One of the premises of the Bicentenario Museum

•  

  Office of the President

•  

  Courtyard

• The official page of the palace