Avenida Callao

The Avenida Callao is one of the main thoroughfares in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires. Will lead you through the districts of Balvanera, San Nicolás and Recoleta.

Overview

Torcuato de Alvear took office as mayor in 1880 with the plan of a city transformation on the model of Baron Haussmann for Paris. The narrow road network of Buenos Aires should be through the system of boulevards in west-east direction ( approximately every 6 blocks, which corresponds to almost 700 meters ) and in north-south direction (all 10 blocks) are loosened. Part of this plan was the Avenida Callao, named after Callao in Peru, which was widened in the 1880s.

Since 1967 she is a one-way street and runs in a northerly direction from the Avenida Rivadavia past the Plaza Congreso, the Congress Palace and the Confitería del Molino. Three blocks further they passed the hotel building, a skyscraper in modern style, which became known by the closure in 2001 and subsequent takeover and reopened by the staff who run it successfully until today. After two more blocks of the church " Iglesia del Salvador " can be seen. It was built by the Argentine architect Pedro Luzetti 1872-1887.

At the intersection with Avenida Cordoba to find the Clasica y Moderna bookstore, which opened in 1938 and the first in Buenos Aires was also home to a café. A hundred yards leads the Avenida past the Plaza Rodríguez Peña and the Palacio Pizzurno. At the corner of Calle Pacheco de Melo an apartment building can be seen in the Art Deco style.

The Avenida Callao ends at Avenida del Libertador, one of the main roads of the city. Here was 1960-1990 Italpark the amusement park, now here is the Parque Thays.

The good two km long road is not only a traffic artery for commuters, but also interesting for its architecture in Belle Époque style, but assumed since the 1950s lost much. The City Council is now considering conservation measures for 85 buildings along Avenida Callao.

The Avenida Callao is mentioned in the Tango " Balada para un loco " by Astor Piazzolla and Horacio Ferrer. In the song it says, " Ya sé que estoy Piantao, Piantao, Piantao, ¿ No ves que va la luna por Rodando Callao, y un coro de niños y astronautas con un vals, baila me alrededor? ... ".