May 25 – May Revolution Day in Argentina

nPosted on May 25, 2017

Key points

nThe date: May 25, 1810.

nThe place: Buenos Aires, Argentina.

nThe event: The start of a revolution!

Once upon a time there was a large region in South America known as the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. It included land that is now carved up into four nations: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia.

nBuenos Aires was the capital of this Viceroyalty.

nEver since the Viceroyalty was formed, in 1776, there was unrest and a growing desire by the people to rule themselves. This desire for independence came to a head in Buenos Aires, and the Viceroy was deposed. This was considered the first step to Argentine independence, and soon the country was embroiled in a war with Spain.

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Independence was declared in 1816, although the fighting continued until 1818.

nThe May Revolution was so important, the entire week is celebrated for all of the events that led up to May 25. It’s called Semana de Mayo (Week of May).

nSpeaking of Buenos Aires….

nThe current capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires is very beautiful:

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nCheck out this neighborhood, called Caminito, which is pretty much a street museum. Argentine artist Benito Quinquela Martín took an eyesore – an old railroad line that was becoming something of a landfill – and he slowly painted the area in a variety of pastel colors. Now local artists use the street as a great place to see their works.

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nOther neighborhoods in this city are famous for their street art and graffiti. There are even graffiti tours!

nPeople in Buenos Aires love to drink mate, which is a hot beverage a bit like green tea, made from the yerba mate plant. People drink if through metal straws in silver-rimmed gourds.

nThe Galarias Pacifico is a shopping mall that is housed in a building that has been used in many ways. There was a shopping area, an art museum, an office building for a railway company… And, from the late 1970s until the early 1980s, basement rooms in the building were used as a kind of torture chamber! That’s right, the military dictatorship that then ruled Argentina used to hold “interrogations” in the deep-down bowels of the mall!

nIn 1945, the amazing cupola of the shopping mall were painted with frescoes by twelve different artists.

nThis is surely one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, if not THE most beautiful! The El Ateneo Gran Splendid is located in what used to be a gorgeous theatre. Most of the theatre seating has been removed and replaced with bookshelves, but the theatre boxes are still intact and can be used as reading nooks. There is a café on the back of what was the stage, but the red stage curtains remain!