This neighborhood received its name from a group of monks in the 18th century called the Recollect. They built a church with a huge, remarkable cemetery attached. It became a popular place for the affluent to move to during the yellow fever outbreak in the south side of town (ie La Boca area). Families created these expensive mausoleums for the deceased with the goal to outdo eachother. Each one is impressive on its own! This is the cemetery where Eva Peron was placed to rest in the 70s.
Today, Recoleta is the cultural center of Buenos Aires. With high class shopping of many Italian and French designers, Plazas named after France/Uraguay/Chile, grand parks filled with sculptures and luxury buildings of French royalty architecture, it is no wonder this neighborhood gave Buenos Aires the nickname “Paris of South America.”
The best place to be in all of Recoleta is standing on this pedestrian bridge over Figueroa Alcorta highway. In front you can see the business district of Retiro and behind you the wealthy neighborhood of Palermo. To the right, is the Buenos Aires Law School, a German looking building with columns. The breathtaking Floralis Generico, engineered with sensors to open during the day and close at night, was presented by famous architect Eduardo Catalano as thank you to Argentina for his education.
To the left, is Plaza de Francia with a beautiful, green park filled with statues and sculptures. Behind the park is the grand yellow Buenos Aires Design Center with a red castle building, which is the Cultural Center of Recoleta. In the near distance you can even see the highest point of the Pilar church with the peaks of mausoleum angelic sculptures.
It is also home to the National Library of Argentina, National Museum of Fine Arts, most influential Argentine write Jorge Luis Borges, and Pope Pius XII. A very upscale area, you can enjoy the world’s best over priced café and mediaslunas (croissant) at La Biela, a ‘café notable’ across from the cemetery in the Plaza de Francia.
This is definitely a neighborhood NOT to be missed!
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