The “Cabildo” is witness to 418 years of political and social history in the Republic of Argentina. The Argentine government declared the building as a national monument in 1933 and the building is now a museum.

The building and its patrimony evoke the rich social and political history that formed Argentina, and is testament to our proud heritage and national identity.

Long before Casa Rosada, Colon Theater and the Obelisk were constructed, the Cabildo was the main political institution and architectural attraction in Buenos Aires city.

I remember my first field trip to the Cabildo. A classic that sticks firmly in my mind, just like when I lived in the United States and my teacher took us to see the Liberty Bell.

On any day you will see scores of schoolchildren, white coated ‘cherubs’, flocking to the Cabildo in order to re-live our history.  Every Argentine child knows that during a rainy week of May of 1810, porteños stood in the muddy Plaza de Mayo with their umbrellas waiting for news from inside the Cabildo (very similar to the faithful crowding the square of the Vatican while waiting for the smoke that signals a new Pope).  The news they eagerly awaited was about the self-determination of the Viceroyalty of the Rio del la Plata whilst a Joseph Bonaparte usurped the Spanish throne.

In commemoration of our bicentennial year, the museum has recently undergone a full restoration and the many exhibits that chart our history modernized with the latest technology and media to ensure a fun and enlightening exhibit for visitors of all ages.

Amazingly, restoration work took just 50 days and involved an investment of over 3 million pesos. Some 50 workers toiled 7 days a week. Workman used two thousand six hundred liters of donated lime to whiten the Cabildo’s façade riddled with graffiti from protests that take place in the square. The original door, damaged by spray-paint, needed full and costly restoration.  This mindless defacing of our proud history tolerated. Every time somebody sprays paint on the walls of the Cabildo, they cause more damage than they know.

The Cabildo, built for eighteenth century suffers a daily twenty-first century pounding from the vibrations of the Subway to air pollution from the traffic – we must care for our heritage.

Elina Tassara, who also worked in the restoration of the Sistine Chapel, expertly completed the work with amazing results. The exhibit halls are spacious, luminous with new furnishings and ‘giantography’, and new technologies that allow visitors to interact with history.

On the ground floor is the reconstruction of Buenos Aires first prison. This is the only section of the original eighteenth century structure that suffered the changes of architectural tastes and style. At the end of the nineteenth century, city planners decided to change the colonial face of Buenos Aires to ensure a progressive modern European feeling throughout the city – it worked.

On the first floor, visitors find the town hall, refurbished with original furnishings circa 1810. In addition, for the first time, the visitors can access the balcony of the Cabildo from where our early government announced to the eagerly awaiting crowd on the Plaza De Mayo that we would not recognize a new king imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte. The views of the square and the Pink House make for a great photo opportunity. In addition, the new exhibits feature the first printer ever, an original invitation to the Cabildo dated 22 May 1810 and a flag captured from the British Invasions.

The Cabildo you visit today is a reconstruction of the original building completed between 1938 and 1940 by the architect Mario Buschiazzo. The windows, door, the tower and the clock are not original. Notwithstanding that, this exhibit captures our glorious history so wonderfully that tourists must make time to visit!

Stroll through the patio amongst the trees that protected our founding fathers from the scorching summer sun. Thursdays and Fridays, a select group of the city’s best artisans offers their handcrafts and interacts with the visitors exploring the roots of the Argentine culture.

The Cabildo Museum, (Bolivar 65)

Open Tuesday to Friday from 10.30am to 5pm.

Sundays and holidays from 11.30am to 6pm.

Telephone:4342-6729 or  4334-1782.

E-Mail: cabildomuseo_nac@yahoo.com.ar

Last Saturday, we took a trip into Centro Buenos Aires to watch the annual Buenos Aires Gay Pride Festival. We decided to publish a few photographs to chronicle the flavor of Buenos Aires most important event on the gay Buenos Aires calendar.

There is no doubt that gay tourism to Buenos Aires grows annually. Gay Buenos Aires 2009 was no exception, although, maybe Buenos Aires City might have felt just a little ‘gayer’ because tourism, particularly international tourism, has most certainly fallen in numbers in line with the travel sector worldwide.

Buenos Aires Gay Pride started at Plaza de Mayo and went along Avenida de Mayo to finish in Plaza Congreso.

We attended the party with Andrew McCance and Javier Aranda from Buenos Aires Stay, Buenos Aires’ leading vacation apartment specialist, and they made a valid point about the after march event.

The march is about ‘Gay Pride’ and the fight for equality. Of course, civil rights are a key element of these events all over the world and the boys had been to many parties in various Capital Cities.

They felt the ‘after party’ too much about activism and not enough about fun.  This event does need a little more ’spice’ and a few more artists to entertain the crowds.

In our defense, Argentina after many years in the democratic wilderness and with many Argentines ’still fighting the dirty war’ with their ’scars’ visible, might seem a touch too serious, a little radical at times, and activism, whether we like it or not, is very much part of our proud culture.

You will no doubt see, we love to demonstrate with passion, our causes a big part of life at the ‘Obelisk’ and ‘Casa Rosada’.

We enjoyed Buenos Aires Gay Pride and look forward to something a little more spectacular during the first week November for Buenos Aires Gay Pride 2010.

Gay Buenos Aires 2010, looks to be an exciting year with Government debating gay marriage and more to the point equal rights and status for gay relationships, not just in Buenos Aires, but Argentina Countrywide.

We hope that our lawmakers ensure that all men and women, whatever their sexuality, have equal rights of partnership and marriage.

Buenos Aires Experience does retain the services of some very good guides and indeed some very professional gay guides for nighttime excursions into the Buenos Aires gay scene.

Should clients want a tour of gay Buenos Aires contact us for further information.

If you are considering traveling to gay Buenos Aires during 2010, remember, we retain many Buenos Aires tour guides and we would describe our business as more than gay friendly, with many gay artisans consulting as part of our team, advising on fashion, Buenos Aires shopping, the arts and culture.

Travel to Gay Buenos Aires 2010

At least, there are green shoots in Buenos Aires, lots of them. The city is awakening to spring after a long winter.

A positive energy floods the city. The tortured face of Buenos Aires winter amazingly transforms over just one night, the city is smiling again and full of hope.  In every square, every park, green shoots and blossom paint their rainbow colors over the brown tones of winter. Buenos Aires is wonderful during spring.

Argentines hate the cold. Most Porteños are happy hibernating winter at home, but suddenly, familiar faces appear in our local parks, the same old man as last year and the year before takes sun below Bartolomé Mitre in his Recoleta square.

Tourists appear as if by magic, their anticipation satisfied by each turn of a corner – Buenos Aires is truly a remarkable city, and particularly beautiful during springtime – we love it!

Bright sunshine warms the city. A cool breeze blows gently off the Rio del la Plata, Buenos Aires’ river of silver, to temper the sun still low in the sky, but hot, its energy recharging Buenos Aires and turning the unwary Plaza de Mayo sightseers ‘Casa Rosada’ pink.

Buenos Aires Experience welcomes our clients

to spring Buenos Aires 2009.