Recoleta

:For the municipality in Chile, see Recoleta (municipality).

Related Topics:
Chile - Recoleta (municipality)

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Recoleta is a 'barrio' or neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a historic area, much frequented by tourists and the city's residents for its cafés, galleries and the famous Recoleta cemetery.

Related Topics:
Barrio - Buenos Aires - Argentina - Recoleta cemetery

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Recoleta is part of the 'pseudo-neighbourhood' called 'Barrio Norte' along with the neighbouring barrios of Retiro, Palermo to the north and Balvanera to the east. Like its neighbours, Recoleta is a very affluent and leafy residential district, initially populated by citizens escaping the 1871 yellow fever epidemic. Recoleta is one of the most expensive places to live in Buenos Aires, both in terms of real estate and of the cost of living. Even the dying too is costly, a mausolea in the Recoleta Cementery costs thousands of dollars.

Related Topics:
Retiro - Palermo - Balvanera - 1871 - Yellow fever - Mausolea - Recoleta Cementery

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Recoleta centres on a square in front of the Cemetery and the neighbouring Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar. This was a relatively high point on the banks of the river and served as a hiding place for bandits in the 17th century. In the early 18th century, French Franciscans known as the 'Padres Recoletos' built a chapel and convent in the area. The Jesuits also arrived and built the Basilica, completed in 1732. This colonial-style church is fitted with a magnificent Baroque altar, brought from Peru, decorated with Jujuy silver and pre-Hispanic ornamentation.

Related Topics:
Bandit - 17th century - 18th century - French - Franciscan - Jesuit - 1732 - Baroque - Altar - Peru - Jujuy

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The Recoleta Cemetery's status as a tourist attraction is rivaled by few; some compare it to Père Lachaise in Paris. It was designed by Prospero Catelin of France, following a proposal by Bernardino Rivadavia, and opened in 1822 as a public cemetery for ordinary citizens. Now it hosts many former Presidents and, most famously, Eva Perón, in mausolea of marble, bronze and granite.

Related Topics:
Père Lachaise - Paris - Bernardino Rivadavia - Eva Perón

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The barrio is referred to as the 'Paris of the Americas'. Many French-style palaces and villas were built in the area and the verdant squares are known for their cafés. Recoleta hosts one of the best and most expensive hotels in Latin America, the five-star Hotel Alvear, a grand 1932 palace, recognized as the most luxurious hotel in Buenos Aires nearby are other mansions built by the most important families of Buenos Aires, some used as embassies. Café La Biela is one of the city's most famous cafés and is patronized by authors, politicians, and other celebrities. On the square facing the cemetery is an enormous rubber tree; its huge tentacle-like lower branches cast shade over La Biela's popular terrace. Known as the 'Gran Gomero', it was planted in 1878 and is 50 metres wide.

Related Topics:
Paris - Americas - Latin America - Buenos Aires - Rubber tree

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Nightlife here is very active too, with pedestrian passage RM Ortíz known for its restaurants.

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Next to the Basilica, on the site of the Franciscan convent, is the Recoleta Cultural Centre, a major gallery for contemporary visual art, set in a dark pink chapel. Nearby is the Buenos Aires Design mall, with many shops highlighting the latest designs in homeware and interior design. There are many bars in this area. The belle époque Palais de Glace, originally an ice rink and ballroom, now serves as an exhibition centre. It was here that Carlos Gardel was shot nonfatally in 1915 as a result of a bar room brawl, by Ernesto Guevara Lynch. The Jockey Club moved to Recoleta in 1931 and serves wealthy horse breeders. Nearby are the National Library, the National Museum of Fine Arts and the University of Buenos Aires Law Faculty.

Related Topics:
Belle époque - Carlos Gardel - University of Buenos Aires

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