An XVIII century church: the heart of Recoleta
Next to the famous Recoleta Cemetery, we can find the Basilica Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Basilica Our Lady of the Pillar). This beautiful temple was open in 1732 by the
Recoleto friars and is the second oldest church in the city of Buenos Aires. The
construction of this church dates back to 1715 and has a baroque colonial style.
Visiting the Basilica is something that should not be missed. Its history and
architecture make it one of the most important patrimonies of the city, just a few
blocks away from our Hotel.
The baroque colonial styled church is one of the oldest in the city.
The church came to life when a neighbor of Recoleta (born in Zaragoza,Spain) made a donation for the construction of it, on the
condition that the church was dedicated to the Virgin of the Pillar, an
aparition of the Virgin Mary associated with Zaragoza.
Another interesting fact about this place is that at one point in history, in the early XIX
century, the property was seized by the government and used as municipal property. It
was not until 1936, after it was declared a basilica by Pope Pius XI, that the church
took control again. In 1942 the Basilica was named a National Historic Monument.
One of the most important attractions of the Basilica of Our Lady of Pillar is the
access to the cloisters. This is the oldest part of the church and they have the
virtue of never having been renovated. They date from the period from 1715 to
1720.
The cloisters and museum at the Basilica.
The cloisters were originally off-limits to the public, but in 1997 they were opened
to visitors and today it houses a three-level art museum where you can see
different works of art.
The pulpit and altar. The woodwork was sculpted by the artist Alonso Cano and the relics of the altar, a gift by King Carlos III of Spain
The Basilica is a great example of the inspirations from spanish arquitecture and without a doubt a place worth visiting to learn about the origins of Recoleta.
Address: Junin St 1904
Web Site: http://www.basilicadelpilar.org.ar/
Timetables for guided tours of the church and cloisters
Church Business Hours: Monday to Sunday 8AM - 9:30PM
Comments
Post a Comment