Â鶹APP

Obelisco de Buenos Aires. Photo by Luis Santos.

Top 10 Remarkable Facts about Obelisco de Buenos Aires

The Obelisco de Buenos Aires is a historic monument that was erected in 1936.

It is the intersection of avenues Corrientes and 9 de Julio in the Plaza de la República.

This monument which ranks as the tallest Obelisk in Argentina was created on the 400th anniversary of the first Spanish settlement on the Río de la Plata.

Its needle-like Obelisk is the ground zero for celebrations after major soccer victories where fans gather around to sing, jump in unison, honk horns and drink beer. 

The iconic emblem marks the spot where the Argentine national flag was raised in the city for the first time.

It has since become a symbolic beacon of the city, marking a strategic central point and often the central focal point for everything from sporting celebrations to political demonstrations.

Here are 10 remarkable facts about Obelisco de Buenos Aires:

1. It was erected to commemorate the Quadricentennial of the first foundation in the City

This historic emblem was first created in the 19th century standing at the intersection of two of the city’s most important streets.

Avenida 9 de Julio has been credited as one of the widest in the world while Avenida Corrientes is famously referred to as the street that never sleeps The former is often credited as being the widest street.

This strategically placed has become very famous as it showcases Argentina’s past and culture. It was created to commemorate the fourth centenary of the first foundation of Buenos Aires by Pedro de Mendoza.

The Obelisk also marks the spot where the Argentine national flag was raised in the city for the first time.

2. The Obelisk was designed by architect Alberto Prebisch

Alberto Prebisch was a renowned Argentine architect famous for numerous works such as private houses, cinemas, banks apartments, and office blocks.

He was one of the main architects of Argentine modernism who also designed the Teatro Gran Rex in Corrientes and Suipacha.

Prebisch’s most famous work was the project of a monument for the Plaza de la República in commemoration of the fourth centenary of the founding of Buenos Aires.

He designs the iconic Obelisk of Buenos Aires-based on the sources of classicism in geometry. Its creation began on the 20th of March 1936 at the request of mayor Mariano de Vedia y Mitre.

3. The Obelisk was erected at the site of a former church

The Obelisk stands at the demolished site of a former church that was dedicated to St. Nicholas of Bari. Saint Nicholas of Bari was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor during the time of the Roman Empire.

Due to the many miracles attributed to his intercession and works he was named a saint having churches dedicated to his accomplishments. A church was built in 1721 dedicated to St. Nicholas of Bari.

It was demolished in 1931 when the streets were widened and the Obelisk of Buenos Aires was built in its place. The church’s tower was the first site where the national flag was hoisted and inscribed on the sides of the Obelisk.

4. The monument has undergone vandalism

Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.

Numerous historic monuments have suffered at the hands of Vandals and the Obelisk in Buenos Aires was not spared.

The monument has suffered politically oriented graffiti over the years by activists.  One activist group, in particular, broke in and spilled paint from the top windows in the 1980s.

This enraged the city government causing a fence to be erected at the base of the icon in 1987. This action stirred controversy at first but eventually proved effective in stopping Vandals from defacing the historic emblem.

5. In 1939 the Obelisk was sanctioned to be demolished

The Obelisk was set to be demolished in 1939. The city council that sanctioned the demolition three years after its inauguration cited security, aesthetic and economic reasons.

The demolition was questioned by President Roberto María Ortiz and vetoed by the mayor. 

President Roberto had succeeded Justo as President and appointed Arturo Goyenche as the new mayor of the city who initially commissioned the creation of the Obelisk.

The municipal executive power argued the demolition plan was an act without merit and juridical content because it alters the state of things emanated by the executive power.

In addition, the monument was under the jurisdiction and custody of the Nation and is part of its heritage. Today it is one of the main meeting points for political demonstrations and the celebration of sporting achievements.

6. Obelisco de Buenos Aires was built by the German Company G.E.O.P.E

G.E.O.P.E was the German company that built the Obelisk. G.E.O.P.E is a construction company by Siemens Bauunion and Grün & Bilfinger that completed its work in a record-breaking time of 31 days with 157 workers. 

The company used rapid hardening Incor cement to build the body. Created a blunt tip fitted with a lightning rod and only one entrance into the Obelisk.

It is located on the west side and on its top there are four windows, that can only be reached by a straight staircase of 206 steps.

7. It is the tallest Obelisk in Argentina

The Obelisk monument was built in 1936 and stands at a height of 71.5 meters. It holds the record for the tallest Obelisk in Argentina. 

It was built at the request of the mayor Mariano de Vedia y Mitre who was appointed by president Agustín Pedro Justo.

The Obelisco is a Post – Egyptian commemorative monument created in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Its function which is to commemorate the quadricentennial of the first foundation of the city is the tallest Obelisk in Argentina.

8. There are several important inscriptions on its side

The Obelisk has several honorable inscriptions on its side. On all four sides of the Obelisk, the inscriptions are as follows.

The Northern side commemorates when the National flag was hoisted for the first time in the St. Nicholas tower.

The west side documents the Federal Capital Law enacted by the National Congress which was an initiative of the President.

The east side of the inscription honors the centenary of the foundation of the city by Don Pedro de Mendoza. Finally, the south side inscription reads Second Foundation by Juan de Garay poem by Baldomero Fernández Moreno.

9. Special occasions are held at the Obelisco

Obelisco Buenos Aires is a grand structure that is occasionally used to commemorate special occasions.

The Obelisk was decorated as a Christmas tree in 1973. A ring-shaped rotating sign was hung around the obelisk in 1975 during the Peronist government of Isabel Peron. 

The sign’s motto El Silencio es Salud was misunderstood as a statement calling Argentines to refrain from expressing their political views even though it was allegedly geared against motorists creating excessive noise.

The Obelisk has also been used and was also covered by a giant pink condom to commemorate World AIDS Day on December 1st, 2005. Obelisco de Buenos Aires was converted into a giant pencil to honor the 30th anniversary of the La Noche de Los Lápices.

10. The Obelisco hosted the opening ceremony of the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics

The Summer Olympic Games were first created in 1894 and are also referred to as the Games of the Olympiad.

It is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years and first took place in Athens, Greece.

The Summer Games are the most popular because they can be held in a wider variety of climates and don’t rely on those climates for a successful Olympics.

The Obelisk in Argentina hosted the glamorous opening ceremony for the 2018 summer youth Olympics that took place in Buenos Aires.