Steve's Genealogy Blog

Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur (South Waterfront Ecological Reserve) in the Puerto Madero neighborhood of Buenos Aires is something of a miracle .  Between 1976 and 1983, public access to the Buenos Aires waterfront was restricted .  Construction debris and sediments dredged from the Rio de la Plata accumulated in the south waterfront and, while construction in the area was stalled, native flora and fauna took advantage of the situation .  This marshy area developed naturally into what became Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur in 1986 .  Today, the area is a wonderful park, full of life, with native plants and animals including over 200 species of birds .  An effort is made to remove non-native species of plants where possible .  Entering the reserve, one can see the stark contrast between the natural landscape and new high-rise construction in Buenos Aires .  Native flowering trees include Erythrina crista-galli (cockspur coral tree, also known as Ceibo or Seí­bo in Spanish, Corticeira in Portuguese) and Jacaranda mimosifolia (Jacaranda) .  The Ceibo flower is the national flower of Argentina .  Jacarada trees are common throughout Buenos Aires, but I was lucky in catching a shot of a few flowers because the flowering season for Jacaranda was pretty much over at the time I was there.

Entrance to Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur

SOURCE: Â Entrance to Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 04 Jan 2011.

High-Rise Construction near Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur

SOURCE: Â High-Rise Construction near Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 04 Jan 2011

 

Erythrina crista-galli (Cockspur Coral Tree, Ceibo, or Seí­bo)

SOURCE: Â Erythrina crista-galli (Cockspur Coral Tree, Ceibo, or Seí­bo) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 04 Jan 2011.

Jacaranda mimosifolia (Jacaranda)

SOURCE: Â Jacaranda mimosifolia (Jacaranda) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 04 Jan 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

At the west end of Avenida de Mayo, in front of the Palacio del Congreso, lies the Plaza del Congreso .  Within the Plaza is Monumento a los Dos Congresos (Monument of the Two Congresses) honoring the Congress of 1810 in Buenos Aires and the Congress of 1816 in Tucumí¡n which lead to the independence of Argentina .  Fountains and sculptures fill the Plaza and a temporary nativity scene of colossal scale stands at the east end (this was, after all, just after Christmas.

Plaza del Congreso – 1

SOURCE:  Plaza del Congreso – 1 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

 

Plaza del Congreso – 2

SOURCE:  Plaza del Congreso - 2 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

 

Monumento a los Dos Congresos

SOURCE: Â Monumento a los Dos Congresos (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

 

Plaza del Congreso Nativity Scene

SOURCE:  Plaza del Congreso Nativity Scene (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Palacio del Congreso (the Congressional Palace), the seat of the legislative branch of Argentina’s national government is located at one end of Avenida de Mayo in Buenos Aires .  At the other end of Avenida de Mayo stands Casa Rosada, the seat of Argentina’s executive branch .  The Palacio del Congreso was modeled after the Capitol Building in Washington, DC, was built between 1898 and 1906 .  Argentina’s legislative branch consists of the Senate with 72 members (3 from each province) and the Chamber of Deputies with 256 members (distributed in proportion to the population of each province).

Palacio del Congreso – 1

SOURCE: Â Palacio del Congreso – 1 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

Palacio del Congreso – 2

SOURCE: Â Palacio del Congreso - 2 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

Palacio del Congreso – 3

SOURCE: Â Palacio del Congreso - 3 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

Palacio del Congreso – 4

SOURCE: Â Palacio del Congreso - 4 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Barrio Norte in Buenos Aires, located on the southern end of the Recoleta Neighborhood, is a residential area with plenty of shopping and dining to boot .  One destination store in Barrio Norte is the El Ateno Grand Splendid Bookstore, housed in the former Teatro Gran Splendid, built in 1919 .  After its life as a theater for both live performances and the first motion pictures with sound, the structure gained a new life as home to the El Ateno Bookstores flagship store .  Former seating areas on the main floor and balconies are now bookshelves, box seats serve as reading areas, and the stage is now a cafe .  Barely south of Barrio Norte is the Palacio de las Aguas Corrientes (The Water Company Palace), built in 1877 as a water pumping station .  Who would guess that this impressive building serves so humble a purpose?  The exterior is covered by 300,000 glazed tiles from the British ceramics manufacturer Royal Doulton.

El Ateno Grand Splendid Bookstore – Exterior

SOURCE: Â El Ateno Grand Splendid Bookstore – Exterior (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

El Ateno Grand Splendid Bookstore – Interior – 1

SOURCE: Â El Ateno Grand Splendid Bookstore – Interior – 1 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

El Ateno Grand Splendid Bookstore – Interior – 2

SOURCE: Â El Ateno Grand Splendid Bookstore - Interior – 2 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

Palacio de las Aguas Corrientes (The Water Company Palace)

SOURCE: Â Palacio de las Aguas Corrientes (The Water Company Palace), (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

Palacio de las Aguas Corrientes (The Water Company Palace) Detail

SOURCE: Â Palacio de las Aguas Corrientes (The Water Company Palace) Detail, (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 03 Jan 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Caminito, in addition to being a popular tourist hangout in the Boca Neighborhood of Buenos Aires, also serves as a street museum for public art .  Some of the many works of art displayed on the walls and in the streets are Bombero Voluntario (Volunteer Firefighter) by Ernesto Scaglia, La Sirga (The Tow) by Julio B. Vergottini, La Canción (The Song) by Julio B. Vergottini, Guardia Vieja Tango (Old Guard – Tango) by Israel Hoffman, and Herrero Boquense (Boca Blacksmith) by Marisa Balmaseda Krause.

Bombero Voluntario (Volunteer Firefighter) by Ernesto Scaglia

SOURCE:  Bombero Voluntario (Volunteer Firefighter) by Ernesto Scaglia (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

La Sirga (The Tow) by Julio B. Vergottini

SOURCE: Â Â La Sirga (The Tow) by Julio B. Vergottini (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

La Canción (The Song) by Julio B. Vergottini

SOURCE:  La Canción (The Song) by Julio B. Vergottini (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Guardia Vieja Tango (Old Guard – Tango)

SOURCE: Â Â Guardia Vieja Tango (Old Guard – Tango) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Herrero Boquense (Boca Blacksmith) by Marisa Balmaseda Krause

SOURCE:  Herrero Boquense (Boca Blacksmith) by Marisa Balmaseda Krause (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

La Boca is probably the most blue-collar of all the neighborhoods in Buenos Aires, but it includes El Caminito, a popular spot for tourists due to the colorful buildings and its abundance of street vendors and street performers .  The trademark colors on the buildings began when, after painting the barges on the nearby river, the dockworkers used leftover paint on their own houses .  The walls of El Caminito are decorated with works of art, one of which, called “Esperando La Barca” (Waiting for the Boat) held special interest for me since it reminded me of my immigrant ancestors .  Estadio Alberto J. Armando, the football (soccer) stadium owned by the Boca Juniors football club is also located in La Boca .  Because of its shape, the stadium is better known as La Bombonera (the Chocolate Box).

El Caminito – 1

SOURCE:  El Caminito – 1 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

El Caminito – 2

SOURCE:  El Caminito - 2 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

El Caminito – 3

SOURCE:  El Caminito - 3 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

“Esperando La Barca” (Waiting for the Boat)

SOURCE: Â Â “Esperando La Barca” (Waiting for the Boat) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Estadio Alberto J. Armando (La Bombonera)

SOURCE: Â Estadio Alberto J. Armando (La Bombonera) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Retiro Neighborhood is one of most exclusive neighborhoods of Buenos Aires but, originally, the area was a country retreat (retiro) for Spanish governor Augustí­n de Robles . Â Â  San Martí­n Plaza, which I described previously, is in the Retiro Neighborhood .  Near the Plaza stands Palacio San Martí­n, built for Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena and completed in 1909 . Â Â Palacio San Martí­n is currently used for ceremonial purposes by the Ministry of Foreign Relations .  Basí­lica Santí­simo Sacramento, also nearby, was built by the Anchorena family in 1916 .  The last apartment occupied by Argentine writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges is here in Retiro, with a plaque commemorating him prominently displayed on the wall of the building .  After exploring the Retiro Neighborhood, I stopped in a beautiful old church, the name of which I didn’t record .  Nonetheless, the interior of this charming neighborhood church is a vivid memory for me.

 

Palacio San Martí­n

SOURCE:  Palacio San Martí­n (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

 

Basí­lica Santí­simo Sacramento

SOURCE: Â Basí­lica Santí­simo Sacramento (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

 

Plaque Honoring Jorge Luis Borges

SOURCE: Â Plaque Honoring Jorge Luis Borges (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Neighborhood Church in Buenos Aires

SOURCE: Â Neighborhood Church in Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

San Martí­n Plaza with its Monumento del Libertador José de San Martí­n (Monument to the Liberator José de San Martí­n), national hero of Argentina and a leader of South America’s struggle for independence from Spain also is home to the Monumento a los Caí­dos de Malvinas, a monument to Argentine soldiers who lost their lives in the Fauklands War .  Historically, the location of San Martí­n Plaza served as a slave market, a military fort, and a bullring .  A replica of the Monument to General José de San Martí­n was given to the United States by Argentina and now stands in Washington, DC.

Monumento del Libertador José de San Martí­n

SOURCE: Â Monumento del Libertador José de San Martí­n (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Detail of Monumento del Libertador José de San Martí­n

SOURCE: Â Detail of Monumento del Libertador José de San Martí­n (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Monumento a los Caí­dos de Malvinas – 1

SOURCE: Â Monumento a los Caí­dos de Malvinas -1 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Monumento a los Caí­dos de Malvinas – 2

SOURCE: Â Monumento a los Caí­dos de Malvinas – 2 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 02 Jan 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Of the photos I took of tombs in Cementerio de la Recoleta, Buenos Aires, there remain but three .  The first is a popular subject for photographers and provides an interesting story for visitors .  Liliana Crociati de Szaszak (1944-1970) was in Innsbruck, Austria on her honeymoon when she was killed by an avalanche that struck the hotel in which she was staying .  The grief of her father was enormous and he had a glass tomb constructed in front of which he placed a sculpture of Liliana in her wedding dress .  Later, when Liliana’s dog Sabíº died, a sculpture of the dog was placed on the tomb as well .  The second tomb belongs to Juan Facundo Quiroga (1788-1835) .  Facundo’s tomb is crowned by a sculpture of La Dolorosa by Tantardini which, incidentally, is actually a likeness of Facundo’s wife Dolores .  Facundo was an Argentine caudillo, a term that connotes the fact that he was more warlord than military leader .  Facundo died at the hands of assassins and, interestingly enough, is buried standing upright .  The third tomb is that of Bernardo de Irigoyen (1822-1906) and his father Fermen Yrigoyen (1795-1853) .  Bernardo de Irigoyen served many influential roles in Argentina’s political system including senator, governor of Buenos Aires, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Internal Affairs .  He was instrumental in negotiating the borders of Argentina with its neighbors .  Of all the tombs in Recoleta, Irigoyen’s is the only one I actually peered into, snapping a photo of the interior as I did so.

Tomb of Liliana Crociati de Szaszak (1944-1970)

SOURCE: Â Tomb of Liliana Crociati de Szaszak (1944-1970) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Dec 2010.

Sculpture of Liliana Crociati de Szaszak

SOURCE: Â Sculpture of Liliana Crociati de Szaszak (1944-1970) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Dec 2010.

Tomb of Juan Facundo Quiroga (1788-1835)

SOURCE:  Tomb of Juan Facundo Quiroga (1788-1835) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Dec 2010.

Tomb of Bernardo de Irigoyen (1822-1906)

SOURCE:  Tomb of Bernardo de Irigoyen (1822-1906) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Dec 2010.

Interior of the Tomb of Bernardo de Irigoyen (1822-1906)

SOURCE:  Interior of the Tomb of Bernardo de Irigoyen (1822-1906) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Dec 2010.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Cementario de la Recoleta in Buenos Aires is as close as I’ve ever seen a cemetery meet the description of “City of the Dead” .  The cemetery includes wide, paved streets and narrow alleyways bordered by mausoleums that often look like miniature houses .  Here and there are green spaces punctuated by monuments and statues .  The first image below looks down one of the wide avenues .  Occasionally, one of the tombs includes interesting and sometimes frightening artwork, such as the skull seen on the tomb of the Family of Doctor Alexo Castex .  Unfortunately, I was not able to learn much about Doctor Castex, which frustrates me as a genealogist!  Finally, the tomb of Martin Rodriguez (1771-1845) shows a sculpture of this Argentine politician and soldier who participated in the resistance to the British Invasion of the Rí­o de la Plata during the Napoleonic Wars and the subsequent May Revolution .  Rodriguez later became governor of Buenos Aires.

City of the Dead

SOURCE:  City of the Dead (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Dec 2010.

Skull on the Tomb of Doctor Alexo Castex

SOURCE:  Skull on the Tomb of Doctor Alexo Castex (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Dec 2010.

Plaque on the Tomb of Doctor Alexo Castex

SOURCE: Â Plaque on the Tomb of Doctor Alexo Castex (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Dec 2010.

Tomb of Martin Rodriguez (1771-1845)

SOURCE: Â Tomb of Martin Rodriguez (1771-1845) (Buenos Aires, Argentina), photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 31 Dec 2010.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko