The Confitería del Molino () is an historical

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

style '' confitería'' (

coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...

) in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

, located in front of the

Palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

of the National Congress and the Congressional Plaza, on the intersection of

Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists ...

and Rivadavia avenues in the ''

barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...

'' of

Balvanera Balvanera is a Barrios of Buenos Aires, barrio or neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Origin of name and alternative names The official name, Balvanera, is the name of the ''parroquia'' (parish) centered around the church of ''Nuestra Seño ...

. It first opened on 9 July 1916 and closed in 1997, the year when it was declared a National Historic Monument by the Argentine Congress. In recent years it has become dilapidated and derelict. In 2014, a law passed by Congress expropriated the coffeehouse and mandated its restoration; restoration efforts began in 2016 and are, as of 2022, nearing completion

History

Cayetano Brenna, a famous confectioner, commissioned Italian architect Francisco Gianotti in 1915 to design the building that would house a café on its ground floor. The café itself opened on July 9, 1916, and when completed in 1917 the building became one of the tallest in the city with a corner turret rising . Illuminated from the inside with electric lighting, the turret featured stained glass windows and decorative windmill sails. El Molino and Galería Güemes were two of Gianotti's greatest works and represent important examples of

style architecture in Buenos Aires. Cayetano Brenna died in 1938 and Renato Varesse took over the business until 1950, when Antonio Armentano appeared, who in turn sold the goodwill in 1978. The new owners cause the bankruptcy of the confectionery, which happens to be acquired by Brenna's grandchildren, who introduce a series of improvements to adapt it to the new times. Over the years El Molino became a favourite meeting place for local cultural, business, and political figures. The café was closed on 23 February 1997 and, neglected by its owners and abandoned in general, it slowly deteriorated until it was evident considerable restoration efforts were needed to salvage the building. The Confitería del Molino was declared a National Historic Monument in 1997. Congress approved its purchase by the Argentine Government in a bill passed unanimously on November 12, 2014. Plans include the restoration of the building and reopening of the namesake café, as well as the creation of a museum of early 20th century life in Buenos Aires. Officially, the building will be an annex of the Argentine Congress serving numerous functions and administered through a bicameral commission (the Special Bicameral Administrative Commission on the "Edificio del Molino"; Law 27.009), though the coffee shop itself is to be operated by the private sector.

Illustrious visitors

In popular culture

*In 1996, American entertainer

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

recorded the videoclip of her cover of ''

Love Don't Live Here Anymore "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" is a song written by Miles Gregory and originally recorded by Rose Royce. It was produced by former Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield for Whitfield Records. Lead vocals were sung by Gwen Dickey ...

'' in the main hall of the coffeehouse. *The 1996 movie Autumn Sun, has scenes filmed in the place.

Gallery

Visita a la Confitería del Molino - 53485913632.jpg, Events hall Visita a la Confitería del Molino - 53485914482.jpg, Events hall Visita a la Confitería del Molino - 53487233835.jpg, Restaurant Visita a la Confitería del Molino - 53487233805.jpg, Restaurant Visita a la Confitería del Molino - 53487233960.jpg, Restaurant Visita a la Confitería del Molino 7657.jpg, Uniforms exhibited Visita a la Confitería del Molino.jpg, Preserved machines Visita a la Confitería del Molino - 53487233260.jpg, Music hall Visita a la Confitería del Molino - 53487233300.jpg, Interior steps Visita a la Confitería del Molino - 53485913532.jpg, Rivadavia Avenue façade Confitería el Molino - 454 -.JPG, Tower Vieja Confitería el Molino.JPG, The building at night Confiteria del molino escalinata 1920s.jpg, Interiors and steps (1920s)

Bibliography

* Mimi Böhm, ''Buenos Aires, Art Nouveau'', Ediciones Xavier Verstraeten, Buenos Aires, 2005. * Monumentos Históricos Nacionales y Bienes Declarados de la República Argentina, Comisión Nacional de Museos y de Monumentos y Lugares Históricos de la República Argentina, Edición 2008.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Confiteria El Molino Balvanera Buildings and structures in Buenos Aires National Historic Monuments of Argentina Coffeehouses and cafés in Argentina Buildings and structures completed in 1917 Art Nouveau architecture in Buenos Aires Art Nouveau restaurants Art Nouveau apartment buildings