Swing by Palacio Barolo and visit the Heaven and Hell of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Ranking in as one of our top Buenos Aires buildings, Palacio Barolo is certainly one of the most unique things to see in Buenos Aires.
Walking down Avenida de Mayo you can see some of the most beautiful architecture in the city. Some buildings are modern and sleek while others take us back in time with their Baroque styles. But without a doubt one of the most architecturally intriguing buildings in the city is Palacio Barolo. With its unique mixture of architectural styles on the exterior and its attention to detail on the interior, this building is one of the most impressive office buildings in town. It has never been rented as a residence and never will be, which is a shame because we’d love to live there.
The History of Barolo
Completed in 1923, this 18-floor, 100-meter office building was designed as an ode to Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. Once the tallest building in South America, the palacio was named after its commissioner, Luis Barolo. Barolo at that time was one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Argentine history. As an Italian immigrant, he had a great fondness for preserving Italian culture and keeping his roots alive in his new country. Designed by Italian architect Mario Palanti, the details of the interior represent the soul’s transcendence to heaven and a big tip of the hat to the book by Dante.
Hell and Purgatory
The first floor is supposedly Dante’s Infierno, though much more welcoming than we’d expect hell to be. The stunning entrance hall has ornate, ghoulish carvings on its pillars and intricate tiles on the floor to show the soul’s continuous movement upwards towards Paraíso. Try to find all the subtle nods to Italy on the first floor, including the flag color scheme of red, green, and white.
Floors 4-14 represent Purgatory and become less and less adorned the higher you go up. The idea behind this is that Purgatory is a state of in between, a flux of nothingness, so the architect wanted to display that in the details of each floor. With minimal décor and an increase in natural lighting, the detailed representation of Dante’s epic poem unfolds before you as you ascend up each level.
Paraíso
After the 14th floor elevators stop ascending, so get your walking shoes ready and prepare to huff and puff up the following flights. Trust us, it’ll all be worth it once you reach “Heaven,” as the view from the top is worth the price of admission alone. Have your camera ready to snap photos of Plaza de Congreso and the surrounding cityscape. Then get ready to climb even higher to the lighthouse that caps Barolo for that panoramic view you’ve been waiting for.
The Breakdown
Visiting hours and tours
You can stroll through part of the building’s lobby, but if you want to see the whole enchilada you’ll have to take the building tour. The great thing about this particular tour is that it will fit it into your schedule whenever it is convenient. Tours are offered Monday, Wednesday-Saturday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. Send a message to either their WhatsApp number: +54 9 11 6915-2385, or shoot them an email at info@palaciobarolotours.com.ar and reserve your spot in advance. Cost is ballpark $10-15 USD depending on the exchange rate. Cash and student discounts offered.
*Special tours are offered at night with featured musicians and of course a New Year’s Eve midnight tour.
Whether you’re a fan of classic literature or not, the view you get to experience from the top of the Palace makes the price of admission and the several staircase trek to heaven worth all the while. And if you don’t want to take the tour walking around is free and worth the architecture eye-candy along the way.
Fun Fact
There is a building in Montevideo, Uruguay (Palacio Salvo) designed by the same architect that is known as its twin. The original idea was that both lighthouses would shine a light that met joining the two towers across the Rio de la Plata. While they vastly miscalculated the distance and possibilities, we love the bonding thought.
Surrounding Area Points of Interest
The surrounding area of Palacio Barolo is brimming with gorgeous buildings and classic must-see locations lining Avenida de Mayo. From the beautiful Congreso building, where members of congress debate bills for hours on end to the famed Casa Rosada (presidential house), this area is an architect lover’s paradise.
To see it all walk from the Congress building through Plaza Congreso down Avenida de Mayo then cross 9 de Julio and end at to the President’s house. A little known fact is that 9 de Julio once prided itself as being the widest avenue in South America. Unfortunately, Brazil now holds the title, but its size is still impressive. We estimate it’ll take you two full stoplights to cross from one side to the other.
As you cross, look out for the ten story portraits of Evita on either side of the Ministry of Health and Social Development building. Evita Peron, a very famous political figure in Argentina’s history has had a profound influence on this city, though you may only know her as the woman who inspired the song, “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.” This ode to the Argentine “woman of the people” was modeled after the image of Che Guevara in Havana and unveiled by the former President, Cristina Kirchner, on the 59th anniversary of Evita’s death.
The walk through Plaza de Mayo in front of the Casa Rosada is chalk full of historical sites. Stop by the beautiful cathedral where the remains of the famous General San Martin lay (hence the torch burning out front). It’s also the church where the current Pope Francis practiced lecturing to large Catholic crowds before moving to the Vatican.
Then there’s the iconic Casa Rosada, historically painted pink apparently because cattle blood used to help paint’s viscosity and durability. This plaza is famous for many human rights activist protests, rich in history (Evita made her famous speech from the balcony) and quite beautiful to roam around on a sunny day. From there we suggest walking down to the Centro Cultural Kirchner, the old post-office turned government funded art space extraordinaire, to explore some of the city’s art.
Other Stops of Interest
–Gaumont Theatre– known for its Argentine independent cinema and reasonable prices the theater is in the same square as the Congress building. While all films are screened in Spanish (without subtitles) it’s an experience that’s worth the bang for your buck.
–36 Billar— a classic Argentine cafe, bar and billiard hall. It’s the perfect spot to grab a coffee, beer or snack and shoot a game or two. Whoever loses has to spot the bill.
