Plaza de Mayo / Casa Rosada
The political heart of Argentina: Plaza de Mayo, site of the 1810 May Revolution; the balcony of Casa Rosada, where Eva Perón spoke; San Martín’s tomb in the cathedral; and the cathedral where Pope Francis once served.
Plaza de Mayo was the center of Buenos Aires when the city was founded in 1580. It takes its name from the May 1810 revolution that overthrew the Spanish viceroy. Over the following two centuries, declarations of independence, Peronist rallies, protests by the Mothers during the military dictatorship and demonstrations during the 2001 economic crisis all took place here. The May Pyramid in the middle of the square is an independence monument. At the east end of the square stands the pink Casa Rosada, the presidential palace. Juan Perón and Eva Perón once addressed hundreds of thousands of supporters from its second-floor balcony, and Madonna filmed scenes for the movie Evita here. Casa Rosada offers free guided tours only on Saturdays and Sundays. Book in advance on the official website and bring your passport. The tour takes about an hour and includes the White Room (Salón Blanco), the balcony and the memorial museum. The Museo Casa Rosada, behind the palace, is free to visit Wednesday through Sunday. On the north side of the square is the Metropolitan Cathedral. Admission is free. Pope Francis once served as archbishop of this diocese, and the cathedral holds the mausoleum of General San Martín, the independence hero. Guards change every two hours. On the west side is the colonial-era Cabildo town hall, with white arcades and a free museum. On the south side, the National Bank and government buildings complete the picture of the seat of power. Every Thursday at 3:30 p.m., the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo still walk around the square to commemorate the children who disappeared during the military regime. The white headscarf motif is inscribed in the pavement of the square. From the square, walk 1.5 km west along Avenida de Mayo to the Congress building. On the way you pass Café Tortoni, which opened in 1858, and the Barolo Palace, where you can book a visit to the top. Take Line A of the subway to Plaza de Mayo station or Line D to Catedral station.
Opening hours
Square open all day; Rose Palace guided tours by reservation, Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
- Buenos Aires Cabildo
- Café Tortoni
- Puerto Madero
- Galerías Pacífico
- Obelisco de Buenos Aires
- San Telmo Market / Feria de San Telmo
- Teatro Colón