Showing posts with label Belgrano. Show all posts

Spanish Art Museum Enrique Larreta



The Larreta residence was built in 1886 as a summer cottage in the Italian Renaissance style. It was surrounded by a garden with fruit and ornamental trees, beds with aromatic plants, and an orchard.
His subsequent owner, writer Enrique Larreta, after serving in the foreign service in France, brought an important art collection of Spanish works of art to decorate his new home. He also transformed the estate into the Spanish Renaissance style, with a significant collection of paintings, altarpieces, wood carvings, and furniture from the XIV to the XX century. In April 1962, at the death of the writer, his sons sold the house to the city of Buenos Aires and donated his collection of works of art and furniture
The collection that gave birth to the museum consisted primarily of wooden sculptures and paintings from the Renaissance ans Baroque periods, as well as a noteworthy set of furniture, arms, and decorative arts that embellished the different rooms in the house. The writer's collection was increased by acquisitions, donations and transfers of more than 30 works from the Museum ofHispanic-American Art Isaac Frenandez Blanco, that blended perfectly with the original collection.







The garden with fruit trees that surrounded the summer house was transformed by Larreta into and Andalusian garden, one of the few of its kind in the city, with the outline characteristic of Muslim gardens, with its fountains, labyrinths and paths that open into different directions. This lush garden invites to rest and relaxation.

There are several sculptures spread around the garden, one of which is a terracotta reproduction of Donatello's David.

Location: Av. Juramento 2291, Belgrano
Opening Times:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
Sa
turdays, Sundays and Holidays: from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
Tuesdays Closed.
January 1st, May 1st, Good Friday, December 24th-25th-31st: Closed
Entrance: 
Argentine residents: AR$1000
Tourists: AR$5,000. Children under 12, pensioners and students with accreditation: free.
Wednesdays Free for all

Guided Visits to the Andalusian Garden: The 4th Thursday of every month, at 12:00 noon, and the first Saturday of every month at 3:00 pm, included in the cost of ticket. Suspended in case of rain.

Enrique Larreta Museum Website (in Spanish only)

Neighborhoods of Buenos Aires: Belgrano


Belgrano is not one of the most touristic neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, but it is one of the nicest of all. As it is not touristy, there are not many hotels, but there is a large number of apartments for rent, and it´s the ideal location to feel like a local when staying in Buenos Aires.

The best location is near Cabildo Avenue, which is a commercial avenue, with many shops, and great transportation through the “Subte” line D, which connects Belgrano with the center of the city. There are also lots of bus lines that run along Cabildo Avenue.

But the nicest locations in Belgrano are the area around Barrancas de Belgrano Park, and the area called Bajo Belgrano, near Federico Lacroze & Luis Maria Campos Ave., an upscale area with many embassies, tree-lined streets, old mansions, and newly built high-rise buildings.

Another area of Belgrano is called Belgrano R, a residential and traditional area, with many English style houses and large mansions, one of the most exclusive and upscale neighborhoods in Buenos Aires.

There´s also a Chinese quarter, or Belgrano´s Chinatown, on Arribeños Street between Juramento and Mendoza, where you will find many traditional Chinese restaurants, gift stores, supermarkets, as well as some Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese restaurants.

Barrio Chino
Sites of interest in Belgrano:
Museum of Hispanic Art Enrique Larreta: Juramento 2291. The beautiful Spanish garden is worth the visit for itself, and it´s open every day with free entrance from 9 am to 1 pm.


Larreta Museum

Sarmiento Historical Museum: Juramento 2180. This historical building was once the government house of Buenos Aires. The present collection is composed of objects, the library and the archives belonging to Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Argentine president from 1868 to 1874.

Museo Sarmiento

Inmaculada Concepción Church, also known as “La Redonda” (1878). V. de Obligado 2042.

Inmaculada Concepcion

Crafts fair at Plaza Manuel Belgrano: Only on weekends and holidays. Juramento Ave. and V. de Obligado Street:


Plaza Manuel Belgrano

Casa del Angel: styilsh shops, cafés, bookstores. Sucre and Cuba St.

Casa del Angel

Barrancas de Belgrano: One of the most beautiful parks in the city, has 67 species of plants: ombus, palm trees “ceibos”, plane trees, paradise, lime and oak trees, magnolias, etc. Among the sculptures scattered in the park, there is a replica of the Statue of Liberty by its original creator, French sculptor Frédéric Bartholdi.
There is also a bower where orchestras play, especially in summer days, and people can dance tango at the only open air Milonga in Buenos Aires.