Location: El Centro (Downtown)
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The 10 Best Churches & Cathedrals in El Centro (Downtown), Capital Federal District
The birthplace of the tango is, like the dance itself, captivating, seductive and bustling with excited energy. Atmospheric old neighborhoods are rife with romantic restaurants and thumping nightlife, and Buenos Aires' European heritage is evident in its architecture, boulevards and parks. Cafe Tortoni, the city's oldest bar, will transport you back to 1858, and the spectacular Teatro Colon impresses just as it did in 1908. Latin America's shopping capital offers the promise of premium retail therapy along its grand, wide boulevards.
Restaurants in Buenos Aires
1. Basilica Maria Auxiliadora y San Carlos
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 42 reviews
2. Catedral Primada
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7,255 reviews
This 1827 cathedral, a mixture of several architectural styles, houses the remains of Argentine Liberator General Jose de San Martin in a marble mausoleum.
Reviewed By 251wesleyc - Tucson, United States
AKA Catedral Metropolitano in some guidebooks. 8th Catholic Church to be built on this site -- consecrated in 1836. Greco-Roman style with 12 columns for the 12 apostles. The interior is much more impressive than the exterior (which looks more like a courthouse). Gorgeous main altar and multiple beautiful side chapels. Beautiful mosaic tile floors. Be sure to look for the masoleum holding the remains of General Jose de San Martin, the hero of Argentina's war for independence from Spain. A "must see" attraction located on the Plaza de Mayo near the Casa Rosada.
3. Basilica del Santisimo Sacramento
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,667 reviews
Reviewed By 277vincentm - New Orleans, United States
Early one evening, I noticed an interesting-looking church on a side street. I wandered over to see its facade, but a wedding was taking place, and the church was still open. The ceremony limited my ability to explore, but what a stunningly beautiful church: both overall, and in detail. (Note: I’m not Catholic, so if I say anything incorrect, my apologies in advance; I approach Basilica Santisimo Sacramento as you might approach a Sikh gurdwara or a Shinto jinja, strictly from a cultural and architectural perspective). Creation: Doña Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena, having spent years in France, and inspired by her favourite Parisian church (I suspect Sainte-Chapelle), wanted to build something similar in Buenos Aires. She covered 100% of the cost of this church: a very wealthy señora indeed! The church, based on a Parisian design, was consecrated in 1916 (a great year to be as far from France as you could get), and was promptly declared a minor basilica by the Pope. This church merits that honour. “Minor” is not pejorative; four ancient Roman churches are the only major basilicas: period. It doesn’t matter if Brunelleschi designed your dome, Giotto built your bell-tower, and Ghiberti did the doors: if you’re not one of those four churches, the best you can ever get is minor. Facade: The basilica’s facade is tall, narrow, and hemmed in by surrounding buildings all around, so you’re forced to look up at it from close by, rather than across a plaza or other open space, where you could get a better perspective. The style is Beaux-Art, with a heavy emphasis on neoclassicism. The arrangement of decorative arches on the facade is clever: in some places, a single arch is visually “supported” by two pillars. In others, two arches side-by-side are “supported” by only three pillars, the central one doing double-duty. Or, try four arches supported by seven pillars: the two-arch/three-pillar design but with a large third arch supported by two pillars right beside the outer double-arch pillars. And then a fourth arch over the third one, supported by two more pillars bracketing the third arch’s. And finally, at ground level, we get a trio of real arches and pillars, one before each door into the church. The bottom three arches actually do the work of an arch, supporting weight; the others are purely decorative. And back at top centre, within one arch high above them all: a remarkable marble sculpture of two kneeling angels worshipping the host: a stern padre is holding up an elaborate golden monstrance with rays radiating out from the host in its centre. A monstrance is a decorative objet d’art which displays the sacred host: the wafer used for Holy Communion; a monstrance with rays projecting out of it, as you see on the church facade, is called a solar monstrance. Right! So walk into the church and stare straight ahead at the fabulously beautiful altar, and what do you see smack dab in the middle of it? A real golden solar monstrance, the spitting image of the one on the facade! All this is sublimely appropriate, since the church’s name is Santisimo Sacramento: “the most holy sacrament” aka Eucharist (the other six sacraments, from baptism to extreme unction, including the matrimony those Porteños were celebrating, are santo, but not santisimo; see Facade and Monstrance photos). Interior: what you immediately notice is how light it is, thanks to all those windows (see Interior photo). That photo also gives a hint of the transept, off to the left. The nave is bright and cheerful; the aisles on either side of the nave are set off by pillars; (see Nave photo). The light beige ceiling above the nave is a rib vault (see Rib Vault photo). The elegant “second-story” galleries immediately above the aisles (called the triforium) are vaulted as well, and separated from the nave by an arcade with bright arches resting on shining black pillars. Above the triforium, the outside walls close in on the nave, so the stained glass windows at this topmost level (called the clerestory) get plenty of sunlight, another factor in the airy, bright nature of the interior. The clerestory windows continue to provide natural light throughout the nave, wrap around the transept, and then light up the ambulatory and apse (See Triforium and Clerestory photo). The apse (the front of the church from the transept to the altar) is stunning: the stained glass is breathtaking; the altar is made of beautifully-sculpted marble of various colors, particularly white Carrera marble, the same stone that Michelangelo used for David, Moses, and the Medici Chapel. The apse also has beautiful frescos (see Apse photo). I had a telephoto lens, but I do wish I could have gotten closer. Unfortunately, the only circumstance where it’s proper to interrupt a wedding by running up to the altar, is if you’re the decent chap who really loves the bride, and you’ve just obtained proof that the groom who’s only after her fortune, is still legally married to a woman up in Bogota; I didn’t fit that description. However, even way back at the stern of the SS Santisimo Sacramento, I could confirm the quality of the materials used, thanks to the side chapels (see Side Chapel photo) and the ornate craftsmanship on the wooden pulpit and confessionals, which were somewhat within line-of-sight (see Pulpit and Confessionals photos). Something as simple as the holy water font was elaborately carved and constructed from four—count ‘em—four different types of marble (see Font photo). Saintology: A close inspection of the stained glass windows here may introduce you to quite a few saints you’ve never heard of before. Several were brand new to me, though they might be famed throughout both Spain and Latin America. For example, one window honorus St. Hermengild, an early 6th century Iberian Visigoth prince who rebelled against his father the king. He lost the war first, and his head second. Saints have associated sacred symbols (Patrick-shamrock, George-dragon, Augustine-tedious books) and Hermengild’s is a headsman’s axe: on the stained-glass window, there’s one axe in the main portrait of the saint, and another down below in a smaller vignette of his actual beheading (see Hermengild photo). Pipes: The church’s pipe organ is a monster: French-built, with 4983 “sound tubes.” Thanks to the wedding, I got to hear the organ: it’s impressive. If you’re Catholic, I’d recommend going to Mass on some special occasion when they’re sure to be playing the organ, such as Saint Hermengild Day. p.s. 1: One morbid reflection: you know, given what this church is made of, and when it was built, it struck me that the same Catholic Italian freighter crews that carried beautiful Carrera marble to Buenos Aires for this basilica, may have loaded up with deadly munitions to take back to Italy, for use against Catholic Austrians on the Isonzo Front. Argentina was wise to stay out of that cataclysm. p.s. 2: After writing the above, I scanned other TA reviews. Apparently this church is a popular tour stop (I can see why). Some reviewers state that this is a cathedral, where the current Pope Francis presided, and where José de San Martin’s tomb is located. It’s a minor basilica, not a cathedral. Pope Francis might very well have had some connection with Santisima Sacramento at some point in his career, but once he became archbishop of Buenos Aires, his official seat would have been the Metropolitan Cathedral. José de San Martin’s tomb is in the Cathedral, not here, though it’s squirrelled away even there, for theological reasons. (Francisco Pizarro’s is proudly displayed in Lima’s cathedral, but Pizarro was never a Freemason.)
4. Basilica Nuestra Senora de la Merced
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 175 reviews
Reviewed By 311queenj - California, United States
This church is about a 5 minute walk from the Catedral Metropolitana in the Plaza de Mayo. While not as large as the Metropolitan Cathedral, Merced has more history and ornate artwork. We had to come back two different days because it was not open the first or second time we passed by. The Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy) is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the patron saint of Spain. The original monastery was built in 1603 by the Mercedarian Friars of the Order of Our Lady of Mercy, and was one of the oldest in Buenos Aires. The church contains the oldest historic archive of the city, dating back earlier than 1884. In 1733, construction of the Merced Basilica began on the old monastery grounds. In 1894, the church exterior was renovated in the neo-Renaissance style, and in 1905, the facade carving was added, depicting General Belgrano's 1812 victory against the Spanish in Tucuman during the war for independence. The church was declared a basilica by Pope Benedict XV in 1917, and the building was declared a National Historical Monument in 1942. The building features both Baroque and Rococo styles. The baroque golden grand altar and the frescoes are impressive, to say the least. Though many of the church artifacts were destroyed during the anti church riots of 1955, the church still contains many of the original furnishings, and decorative items, such as the wooden Cristo de la Humildad y Paciencia, that was carved from a single tree. The basilica has beautiful stained glass windows, incredible painted arched ceilings, and an impressive collection of sculptures and artwork. Gold-leaf paint and gilding gleam from the walls, ceiling, altars, arches, pillars, etc. The detail here is almost overwhelming. Be sure to stop in and check it out!
5. Iglesia San Miguel de Arcangell
6. Convento Santo Domingo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 107 reviews
Vení a conocer el patrimonio artístico, cultural, histórico y religioso de nuestra basílica y Convento que fue sede de las invasiones Inglesas, posee los trofeos de guerra de Liniers y Belgrano, cuyo atrio guarda los restos del prócer Manuel Belgrano, donde también pueden verse las huellas de la quema de Iglesias del 55, y puede contemplarse una variedad de obras de arte desde la época colonial hasta hoy, entre otros tesoros invaluables de la cultura Argentina.
Reviewed By DrErickJMannPhD - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Definitely worth visiting. I always visit when I am in Buenos Aires. Although the Dominicans occupied the site since 1606, it was not until 1751 that they began to raise the present building, designed by the architect Antonio Masella Turin. On June 29 the stone foundation of the temple was laid, but the work did not progress steadily due to disagreements between the designer and the religious order. From 1762 until 1779 construction efforts were renewed by Don Juan de Lezica and Torrezuri as the main benefactor and director of the project. The unfinished church was consecrated on October the 17th of 1783, while architect Manuel Rocha Alvarez Masella continued the work. The following year the tower was completed. The February 11, 1792, when the necessary donations were gathered, the foundation of the Convent of Santo Domingo began. It was concluded in 1805, as deduced from the absence of further records of expenses on the project. The June 27, 1806, British troops under General William Beresford attacked Buenos Aires, which was not prepared to face the invasion. On Sunday the 1st of July, Since no religious service would be given at the monastery, the captain Captain Santiago de Liniers and Brémont told Fray Gregorio Torres that should he receive the protection of the Virgin and retake the city, he would donate the invader's colors to the church. The invading force was defeated on the 12th of the month, and Liniers donated the flags on the 24th. They are since then kept at the church. On July the second of 1807 the British attempted to seize Buenos Aires for the second time. The invaders took refuge in the east tower from where they offered resistance to the forces of the Tercio de Cántabros Montañeses militia unit, commanded by Colonel Pedro Andrés García, in what became known as the Battle of Santo Domingo. The tower was damaged by cannon fire and rebuilt afterwards. The original projectiles have been removed from the structure and replaced with commemorative pieces of wood representing the impacts. In 1817, the English artist Emeric Essex Vidal visited the city and portrayed it in a series of watercolors. One which included the Church of Santo Domingo. He would comment that the building "(...) is in a state of disrepair, and has nothing noteworthy except for the colors and a fine organ." The convent photographed in 1900. During the rule of president Bernardino Rivadavia the Dominicans were expelled from the country. The building became a Natural History Museum in 1826, under the direction of Italian chemist and botanist Pablo Ferrari. It The museum used to contain some 800 pieces of the animal kingdom, 1500 minerals and an unknown number of plants, as well as a numismatic collection of over 1500 pieces. In the upper part of the church an astronomical observatory was built, and a meteorological office was run by another Italian scientist, Octavio Fabrizio Mossotti, who would also between 1828 and 1834 give lectures on physics. Unfortunately, due to the general disinterest in science most of the meteorological records were lost, some of which were used by Humboldt and found their way to the Institute of France. Mossotti's observations on a solar eclipse and the comet Encke were published by the Royal Astronomical Society of London. The ashes from Manuel Belgrano's body, after being exhumated from the church's atrium, 1902. In October the 22nd of 1835 President Rosas personally issued a decree allowing the Dominicans to return to the country and recover the convent. In virtue of this resolution Rosas was named a brother of the Dominican order. Despite the return of the monks the Museum of Natural History continued to operate in the building until 1854. In 1849 the west tower was completed. The basement behind the presbytery dates of 1873, the vestry and the chapels of San Vicente and Rosario of 1885. In 1894 the architects Auguste Plou and Oliver reformed the temple, modifying the original crown and giving it its current pediment. A mausoleum was opened in 1903 by the sculptor Ettore Ximenes and located in the temple courtyard, houses the remains of Manuel Belgrano, who was buried in the habit of the Dominican order. These were first buried under a slab at the entrance of the church, the general will and testament, which belonged to the Third Order of St. Dominic. They are also buried in the convent of the remains of General Belgrano parents, for the generous contributions that had favored the temple and the remains of General Antonio González Balcarce, Hilarion de la Quintana. A plaque reminds Martín de Álzaga, although his remains are in the Recoleta Cemetery in the vault familiar. In 1910 the convent was elevated to the rank of Basilica by Pope Pius X. The church October 8, 1922 the image of Nuestra Señora del Rosario received a papal coronation procession was a great celebration. A decree signed on May 21, 1942, the Convent was declared a Historic Monument Nacional. During the burning of churches on June 16, 1955, it was burned and looted losing most of the documents and relics. A restoration project was begun in 1961 after the destruction.
7. Parroquia San Nicolas de Bari
8. Catedral Anglicana de San Juan Bautista
9. Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 296 reviews
Reviewed By ruthandvern - Wilton, United States
As you approach the baroque style entrance it's a humbling experience given the history of the church and compound surrounding it. It was one of a few that day that was open to the public. I took almost 40 pictures, the interior is just marvelous. Glad it was open!
