The Argentine Centennial International Exhibition () was an exhibition held between May and November 1910 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 ...

, to commemorate the

Centennial A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

of the

May Revolution The May Revolution () was a week-long series of events that took place from 18 to 25 May 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, ...

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 ...

(the formation of the first local government on May 25, 1810). With a population of around 1.2 million, Buenos Aires was then the largest urban complex in

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

, the eighth city in the world, and one of the richest. As the capital city and main port of the young Argentine Republic at the height of its economic expansion, the city was growing rapidly with the successive waves of European immigration.

Summary

A total of 20 pavilions were built specially for the exhibition.El único pabellón que quedó del festejo del Centenario, olvidado y en mal estado
''Clarín'', 28 Jan 2010 A number of young Italian architects, including

Virginio Colombo Virginio Colombo (1884–1927) was a prolific Italian architect later active in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Biography Born in 1884 in Milan, Italy, Colombo studied architecture in the Brera Academy under Giuseppe Sommaruga, the city's leading expon ...

, Francisco Gianotti and

Mario Palanti Mario Palanti (September 20, 1885 – September 4, 1978) was an Italian architect who designed important buildings in the capital cities of both Argentina and Uruguay. Life and career Born in 1885 in Milan, Italy, the brother of painter Giu ...

who designed the Italian pavilion, went on to establish successful careers in Buenos Aires working in a number of styles, including Art Nouveau. Their buildings were some of the most important of the 20th century in Buenos Aires and those that remain continue to play a significant role in defining the city's architectural landscape. Each pavilion feature a different theme, such as: * Agriculture and Cattle Raising – Organised by the

Sociedad Rural Argentina The Sociedad Rural Argentina (SRA) is a landowners' association founded in 1866, representing large agricultural producers in Argentina's Pampas region, primarily focused on crop farming and livestock production. The organization has played a si ...

, this was housed in a pavilion within the organisation's house in

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

. It and contained an exhibition of agricultural activities and products from various parts of the country. * Industry – This was located on what today is Del Libertador Avenue near El Rosedal, and featured industrial machinery much of which had never been seen before in Argentina. The only major pavilion still standing from any of the expositions is the Postal Service Pavilion from the Industrial Exhibition. * Railways and Overland Transport – An exhibition of the latest automobiles from Europe, yachts, aeroplanes, railway locomotives, carriages and wagons. The pavilion, designed by Italian architect Virginio Colombo, was located near the

Hipódromo de Palermo Hipódromo, a Spanish and Portuguese word meaning "racecourse", may refer to: *Barrio Hipódromo, Maldonado, Barrio Hipódromo, a populated place in Maldonado Department, Uruguay *Colonia Hipódromo Condesa, a neighborhood west of the historic cente ...

. It was the most attended exhibition. * Hygiene - this was located on the Unzué Residence gardens, now occupied by the Argentine National Library. * Fine Arts - this was located in the "Argentine Pavilion", a steel structure covered in ceramics and multi-coloured glass designed by French architect

Albert Ballu Albert Ballu (1 June 1849 - 3 November 1939) was a French architect. He designed many buildings in French Algeria, including the Cathédrale du Sacré-Cœur d'Oran. Education and early career Albert Ballu was the son of an architect, Théodore ...

for the 1889 Exposition Universelle of Paris, where it stood next to the newly built

Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889. Locally nicknamed "''La dame de fe ...

. By 1910 the pavilion had been relocated in Plaza San Martín, opposite the

Plaza Hotel The Plaza Hotel (also known as The Plaza) is a luxury hotel and condominium apartment building in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the western side of Grand Army Plaza, after which it is named, just west of Fifth Avenue, ...

. The pavilion would be dismantled in 1933.Exposiciones históricas en la Argentina III. De la Exposición Internacional del Centenario (1910) a la creación del Salón Nacional (1911)
by Gutiérrez Viñuales, Rodrigo, May 2005, Universidad de Granada website In addition there were pavilions for several of the Argentine provinces, including Córdoba, Mendoza, Salta, Jujuy and Tucumán, and for countries including Spain, Italy, Germany, England, Switzerland, Austro-Hungarian Empire and Paraguay. The

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 played an important role in the designs of many of the buildings.

Gallery

File:Buenos Aires - Pabellón Argentino de la Exposición Universal de París en Plaza San Martín.JPG, The Argentine Pavilion at the Fine Arts Exhibition File:Expo centenario ferrocarriles 3.jpg, Railway exhibition pavilion File:Expo centenario pabellon alemania.jpg, Germany pavilion File:Expo centenario pabellon italia.jpg, Italy pavilion File:Pabellón del Paraguay en la Exposición del Centenario Argentino (1910).jpg, Paraguay pavilion File:Expo centenario pabellon serv postal.jpg, Argentine post office pavilion File:Globos Exposición del Centenario Argentina.jpg, Balloons race File:Centenario Argentina 1910 HD.png, Advertising illustration by Adriano Minardi

Bibliography

* Mimi Böhm, ''Buenos Aires, Art Nouveau'', Ediciones Xavier Verstraeten, Buenos Aires, 2005.
El pasado en imágenes. La exposición internacional del Centenario. Ferrocarriles y Transportes Terrestres
''Ciencia Hoy'' magazine

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Exposicion Internacional del Centenario (1910) History of Argentina (1880–1916) History of Buenos Aires World's fairs in Argentina 1910 in Argentina Art Nouveau architecture in Buenos Aires Buildings and structures completed in 1910 1910s in Buenos Aires 1910 festivals Events in Buenos Aires

Summary

Gallery

See also

Bibliography

References