Avenida Alvear

The Avenida Alvear is a commercial street in the Recoleta district of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.

Description

The Avenida Alvear extends over seven blocks (one block corresponds to approximately 110 meters ) from the Plazoleta Carlos Pellegrini to Alvear Plaza. The road is not only known for its expensive shops, but also for the palatial building in the French style, which was very popular with the Argentine upper class at the beginning of the 20th century.

The construction of the Avenida Alvear began in 1885 on the initiative of Mayor Torcuato de Alvear, who is remembered for his urban projects on the model of Baron Haussmann in Paris. The Palacio Ortiz Basualdo ( now seat of the French Embassy ) and the Palacio Pereda ( Brazilian embassy ) are the best known examples of the " Belle Epoque " architecture along the road. Other famous buildings include the Palacio Duhau (now a Park Hyatt Hotel), the neighboring Palacio Fernández Anchorena (Embassy of the Vatican ) and the Alvear Palace Hotel from 1932.

Among the designer boutiques along Avenida Alvear include Armani, Valentino, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Ermenegildo Zegna. The road ends in the north at La Recoleta cemetery.