Flores, Buenos Aires
Encyclopedia
Flores is a middle class barrio or district in the centre part of Buenos Aires
city, Argentina
. Flores was considered a rural area of the Province of Buenos Aires
until 1888 when it was integrated to the City.
The limits of the neighbourhood are marked by several streets and avenues: Portela, Cuenca, Av. Gaona, Av. Donato Alvarez, Curapaligüe, Av. Directorio, Av. Carabobo, Av. Castañares, Torres y Tenorio, Av. Riestra, Av. Perito Moreno, Av. Castañares, Lacarra and Av. Luis J. Dellepiane.
Flores was mainly composed of country houses from the wealthy people of the City of Buenos Aires. Today, remains of those houses can still be found, including the house owned by Juan Manuel de Rosas
, the Governor of the Province around the 19th century.
One of the most prominent of these early homeowners in Flores was the Marcó del Pont family, descendants of a former Spanish governor of Chile. Purchasing property facing the new railway station (one of Argentina's first), they had a comfortable yet understated italianate
property built in 1860. Relocating in 1929, the family sold the property and the estate fell into disrepair. Slated at one time for demolition, it eventually caught the attention of the San José de Flores Historical Society, who prevailed on the city to declare it a National Historic Monument, in 1976. Its fate now secure, as the home became the Marcó del Pont Cultural Center.
The neighbourhood's commercial areas are centered around the train station, Rivadavia Avenue, and the nearby parish church, Basílica de San José de Flores, dating from 1831 which has a romanticist
architectural style.
A fictitious mythology
of the neighborhood was created by author Alejandro Dolina
, centered around the grey angel of Flores. A famous tango song, San José de Flores, centers around the sorrow of a man returning to the barrio after a long and tumultuous absence.
The Pueyrredón theatre was a famous ballroom, where tango
vocalist Edmundo Rivero
gained fame in the 1930s and was also an oft-used venue by early Argentine rock
bands such as Almendra.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
city, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Flores was considered a rural area of the Province of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
until 1888 when it was integrated to the City.
The limits of the neighbourhood are marked by several streets and avenues: Portela, Cuenca, Av. Gaona, Av. Donato Alvarez, Curapaligüe, Av. Directorio, Av. Carabobo, Av. Castañares, Torres y Tenorio, Av. Riestra, Av. Perito Moreno, Av. Castañares, Lacarra and Av. Luis J. Dellepiane.
Flores was mainly composed of country houses from the wealthy people of the City of Buenos Aires. Today, remains of those houses can still be found, including the house owned by Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
, the Governor of the Province around the 19th century.
One of the most prominent of these early homeowners in Flores was the Marcó del Pont family, descendants of a former Spanish governor of Chile. Purchasing property facing the new railway station (one of Argentina's first), they had a comfortable yet understated italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
property built in 1860. Relocating in 1929, the family sold the property and the estate fell into disrepair. Slated at one time for demolition, it eventually caught the attention of the San José de Flores Historical Society, who prevailed on the city to declare it a National Historic Monument, in 1976. Its fate now secure, as the home became the Marcó del Pont Cultural Center.
The neighbourhood's commercial areas are centered around the train station, Rivadavia Avenue, and the nearby parish church, Basílica de San José de Flores, dating from 1831 which has a romanticist
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
architectural style.
A fictitious mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
of the neighborhood was created by author Alejandro Dolina
Alejandro Dolina
Alejandro Ricardo Dolina is an Argentine broadcaster, who also achieved renown as a musician and a writer.-External links:* at AlejandroDolina.com.ar * : listen to La venganza será terrible online...
, centered around the grey angel of Flores. A famous tango song, San José de Flores, centers around the sorrow of a man returning to the barrio after a long and tumultuous absence.
The Pueyrredón theatre was a famous ballroom, where tango
Tango music
Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
vocalist Edmundo Rivero
Edmundo Rivero
Leonel Edmundo Rivero was an Argentine tango singer, composer, and impresario.-Early days:Rivero was born in the southern Buenos Aires suburb of Valentín Alsina. Joining his father in some of his travels, he was exposed to the lifestyle and the music of the gauchos of Buenos Aires Province from...
gained fame in the 1930s and was also an oft-used venue by early Argentine rock
Argentine rock
Argentine rock , is composed or made by Argentine bands or artists, in the Spanish language. For nearly half a century it has been a major popular genre, and it is considered part of the popular music tradition of Argentina alongside Argentine Tango, and Argentine folk music.The moment when...
bands such as Almendra.