The park, formerly known as the "Field of Glory," was renamed in honor of Argentina´s hero José de San Martín in 1878, upon the hundredth anniversary of his birth.
Following remodeling works by British architect Edward Taylor and Argentine archiect José Canale, the fort, bullring and other buildings that existed in the lands were demolished in 1883.
In 1889 French urbanist and landscaper Charles Thays was commissioned to give the plaza its approximate current form. Numerous Ombú, Linden, rubber plants, magnolias, ceibos, jacarandas, Floss Silk trees, and –oddly– sequoias, were planted.


Plaza San Martín and its surroundings acquired their current physiognomy in 1936, when Charles Thays' son, Carlos León Thays designed the esplanade surrounding the monument. The trees planted by Thays made this park one of the most beautiful in Buenos Aires.


Some of Argentina's wealthiest and most aristocratic families built their residences and mansions around the square, which rivaled in elegance with the ones in the nearby neighborhood of Recoleta.

San Martin Palace: originally the house of the Anchorena family, today the palace belongs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship.

Military Circle (Paz Palace): José Camilo Paz –founder of La Prensa newspaper– ordered the construction of his family mansion based on the plans made by the French Louis Sortaris. Since 1938, it has been the venue of the Military Circle, an army club, and the National Museum of Weapons.



Plaza Hotel: Industrialist Ernesto Torquinst decided to build a hotel at the level of those in Europe and New York. Architect Alfredo Zucker was in charge of this work, inaugurated in 1908. It was remodeled in 1913 and 1978. The hotel is one of the most traditional and luxurious in Buenos Aires.

Kavanagh building: In 1934, Corina Kavanagh ordered the construction of a skyscraper to the architects Sánchez, Lagos and de La Torre. They designed a step building made of reinforced concrete in a rationalist style. When the building was opened in 1936, it was the highest in Latin America.


Santísimo Sacramento Basilica: Aristocrat Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena, owner of the Anchorena Palace, ordered the construction of this basilica, thinking that if she lived in a palace, her God should also deserve one. It was finished in 1916, designed by French architects Coulomb and Chauvet in a neo-gothic/romantic style. Tha white marbel facade represents Blessed Pedro Eymard with 2 kneeling angels. Its altar is one of the biggest in South America, with ornaments made of marble, blue granite, bronze and Venetian mosaic.


Retiro Train Station: Inaugurated in 1915 based on the project developed by a team of English engineers and architects, in a French academicism style. The metallic structure of the platforms was manufactured in Great Britain.

Monumental Tower (formerly The English Tower): donated by the British community in Argentina in 1916 for the centenary of Argentina´s independece. The clock has a diameter of 4.5 meters and a pendulum of 100 kilograms of weight. It was built with materials brought from England.

Monument to Malvinas War Soldiers: located on Leandro N. Alem Avenue, this memorial pays homage to the soldiers of the Malvinas War. It is made of 25 plaques with the names of all the soldiers who fell in combat in that war in 1982:

See also: Monument to General San Martín and A visit to the magnificent Palacio Paz

To see more pictures of Plaza San Martin and Retiro Neighborhood, visit my Retiro Photo Album.

The 2009 Dakar will take place in Argentina and Chile from the 3rd to the 18th of January, in an amazing course of 9000 km including 6000 of specials between Buenos Aires, Valparaiso and Buenos Aires.
The Dakar rally, the legendary event of the off-road rally discipline, will for the first time go to South America in 2009. During the last thirty years, the race has forged itself a legendary reputation on the African territory that helped it grow and become one of the major events of the international calendar. A first choice sporting competition that mixes great champions and amateurs, the event has become extremely international throughout the years, uniting up to 52 different nationalities.
The Dakar will cross over the Atlantic Ocean for its 2009 edition. On the morning of January 3rd, 530 teams will take off from Buenos Aires, start and finish place of the race: 230 motos, 30 quads, 188 cars and 82 trucks, representing 49 nationalities.
By first of all heading south towards the landscapes of Patagonia, the drivers and riders will then have to cross the Andes Mountains before enjoying a rest day at Valparaiso on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The return trip will then take them to the Atacama Desert and notably to the Argentinean provinces of Catamarca, of Rioja and of Cordoba.

Schedule of events:

December 31st, 2008 - January 1st, 2009: second phase of technical and administrative scrutineering at “La Rural” Exhibition Center, Plaza Italia, Buenos Aires. Dakar Village.

* December 31, 2008 from 10 AM to 7 PM
* January 1 and 2, 2009 from 10 AM to 10 PM

Entry Fee: $ 8 Argentine pesos

January 2nd, 2009: Presentation of the vehicles Podium, located at the South of the Obelisk, Avenue of 9 de Julio. Tour of vehicles around the city of Buenos Aires, from 4 PM to 12 AM, departing from La Rural, passing through the Obelisk at Plaza de la Republica. Map.

January 3rd, 2009: start of the first stage from Buenos Aires, La Rural.

January 10th, 2009: rest day at Valparaiso

January 17th, 2009: Arrival of vehicles in Buenos Aires, from 1:30 pm, through Dorrego Avenue towards Libertador up to the Dakar Village in La Rural.

January 18th, 2009: finish in Buenos Aires. Tour of vehicles along Libertador Avenue, between Sarmiento and Godoy Cruz, and coronation of champions.

The Argentine provinces travelled through:
Buenos Aires – Federal Capital
Buenos Aires province
La Pampa
Río Negro
Chubut
Neuquén
Mendoza
Catamarca
La Rioja
Córdoba
Santa Fe

For more information, route maps and news, visit Dakar 2009 Rally official website.

Teatro Argentino de La Plata presents the classical ballet "The Nutcracker", with music by Piotr I. Tchaikovsky and choreography by Iñaki Urlezaga, with the participation of the ballet directed by Cristina Delmagro and the Orchestra of Teatro Argentino, conducted by Esteban Gantzer.

"The Nutcracker" is a Christmas tale for the whole family, with music composed in 1890 by Piotr Ilich Tchaikovsky, and with original choreography by Lev Ivanov. The libretto, by Marcus Petipa, comes from the adaptation of a tale of Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann by Alejandro Dumas. The ballet, opened in December 5, 1892 at Saint Petersburg´s Mariinsky Theater, became the most represented piece for the Christmas season.
The argument tells the story about the Christmas eve and the party that the family Stahlbaum is preparing. The kids, Clara and Fritz, await anxiously for the guests and the Christmas gifts. Most of all, they await for their beloved godfather, Drosselmeyer, who, among other things, gives little Clara a Nutcracker with the shape of a soldier. This toy will become a main character of the story, thanks to the imagination of the kids, taking part in their wonderful adventures.

Dates and hours:
Friday 19: 8:30 PM
Saturday 20: 8:30 PM
Sunday 21: 6:30 PM
Tuesday 23: 8:30 PM

Location: Teatro Argentino de La Plata. La Plata, Province of Buenos Aires.
Tickets: Ticketek Argentina.
From Buenos Aires, there will be a bus service departing from Casa de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Callao 237, two and a half hours previous to the time of the performance. The cost of the round bus ticket is $ 20 pesos per person, and they must be purchased by Ticketek Argentina website.

The vehicles and pilots that will be participating in the Dakar Rally Argentina-Chile 2009 will be presented in the city of Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, next Monday, December 29th, in a mega-event at the parking lot of Tigre´s Train Station, with the presence of the Argentine competitors. The official vehicles of the race, including cars, motorcycles, trucks and quads will be exhibited.
The event will start at 4 PM with a show by "El Choque Urbano". Then, after the official start of the race, the Argentine cars will offer a demonstration in a circuit specially set up for this event, where the drivers will go through ramps representing each one of the Argentine provinces that make up the rally´s route.
As closing of the event, jet propulsion Mirage airplanes from the Argentine Air Force will cross the sky with the flags of Argentina and France, and artist Zeta Bozio, DJ and former member of Soda Stereo, will offer a show with the best music in a fascinating setting.