The Palace of the Argentine National Congress ( es, Palacio del Congreso de la Nación Argentina, often referred locally as ''Palacio del Congreso'') is a monumental building, seat of the Argentine National Congress, located in the city of

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

. It is located in the '' barrio'' of Balvanera at its limit with Monserrat, an area informally known as the Congreso neighbourhood. Constructed between 1898 and 1906, the palace is a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

. The '' Kilometre Zero'' for all Argentine National Highways is marked on a milestone at the

Congressional Plaza Congressional Plaza (Spanish: ''Plaza del Congreso'') is a public park facing the Argentine Congress in Buenos Aires. The plaza is part of a 3 hectare (7.5 acre) open space comprising three adjoining plazas to the east of the Congress building. ...

, next to the building.

History

The idea of a congressional palace was first proposed and decreed in 1895. Designed by the

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

architect Vittorio Meano and completed by Argentine architect Julio Dormal, the building was under construction between 1898 and 1906. Inaugurated that year, its aesthetic details were not completed until 1946. The

quadriga A () is a car or chariot drawn by four horses abreast and favoured for chariot racing in Classical Antiquity and the Roman Empire until the Late Middle Ages. The word derives from the Latin contraction of , from ': four, and ': yoke. The four- ...

atop the entrance is the work of sculptor Victor de Pol; Argentine sculptor Lola Mora graced the interior halls and exterior alike with numerous allegorical bronzes and marble grandma's, including those in the facade. The edifice was built at a cost of US$6 million allocated by the federal government. The building was officially accepted by Congress on 12 May 1906. As time went by, the building proved too small for its purpose, and in 1974 the construction of the Annex, which now holds the Deputies' offices, was started. From 1976 to 1983 the palace housed the Legislative Advisory Commission (CAL), which was a group of officers from the three Armed Forces.

, built by French Argentine urbanist Charles Thays, faces the palace. Popular among tourists since its inauguration in 1910, the plaza is also a preferred location for protesters and those who want to voice their opinion about congressional activities.

Architecture

The palace is in Neoclassical style, largely made of white marble with elaborately furnished interiors, especially in the Lost Steps Hall and the Blue Room. It is crowned by a bronze-plated dome in height, weighing , weathered to green color. This cupola is supported over a deep inverted dome foundation. The dome is lit during Argentina's national holidays and other special occasions. The main entrance, called the ''Entrada de Honor'' ("Honor Entrance"), is exclusively used for ceremonial purposes. In front of it is the high ''quadriga'' sculpture, by Victor de Pol. It is made of bronze and weighs . A symbol of the Argentine Republic, it follows the typical depiction of

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

generals making a declaration of Victory but in this case it is driven by the symbolic Liberty holding the reins of the horses. The palace used to have a barber shop in the basement but it was demolished.

Statues Recovery

In 1997, with the first general restoration of facades, representatives of the

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...

promoted the recovery of the statues designed by Lola Mora to crown the entrance to Congress. As the sculptor had personally donated to the government of province of Jujuy, the only thing possible was to make rubbings to place in

. However, at that time the idea did not materialize. Only in 2012, with the new Master Plan, the initiative gained momentum again and began to take shape. The government of

Jujuy San Salvador de Jujuy (), commonly known as Jujuy and locally often referred to as San Salvador, is the capital and largest city of Jujuy Province in northwest Argentina. Also, it is the seat of the Doctor Manuel Belgrano Department. It lies near ...

reaffirmed its ownership of the statues of Mora, so that Congress signed a treaty for the restoration of the original and creating two copies of each work by a 3D mapping, which began in January 2013. the original had suffered deterioration caused by hundred years of outdoor exposure, so it must be kept in a closed and adequate space, while one group of rubbings will be placed in its place in the Government House of Jujuy, and the other set of rubbings will be placed in the original spaces of the National Congress. On 1 March 2014 replicas of the statues were inaugurated by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner at the opening of the regular session.

Gallery

File:Congreso Nacional en construccion (Caras y Caretas, 1900).jpg, In construction, 1900 File:Congreso Nacional en construcción (1905).jpg, In construction, 1905 File:Congreso 1910.jpg, Still lacking some ornaments, 1910 File:Congreso Argentino durante la asunción de Cámpora (1973).jpg, On the inauguration of Héctor Cámpora, 1973 File:Palacio de Congresos de Buenos Aires, Argentina2.jpg, Main facade view File:Buenos Aires-Plaza Congreso-Pensador de Rodin.jpg, Main facade as seen from Auguste Rodin's '' The Thinker'',

File:CONGRESO 5.jpg, Main staircase File:Congreso Nacional Argentino Rivadavia y C. de los Pozos.jpg, Deputy Hemycicle, rear view File:La República y la cúpula del congreso.JPG, Detail of the bronze-plated dome, front view File:Hemiciclo Congreso Nacional.JPG, Rear part of the National Congress, Buenos Aires, Argentina. File:CONGRESO 11.JPG, Entrance of the Palace File:Cámara de Diputados de la Nación Argentina.jpg, Chamber of Deputies

References

;Web ;Bibliography * *

External links

{{Authority control Palaces in Buenos Aires

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...