Page 79 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Argentina

PLAZA DE M A Y O AND MICROCENTRO  77

Mendoza, who opened the
theater in 1921 with a pro-
duction of Lope de Vega’s La
Dama Boba. After a few years,
mismanagement and poor
box-office returns led to
bankruptcy, and the building
and business were taken over
by the government.
In the early decades, plays by
great Spanish authors such as
Calderón, Tirso de Molina, and
Ventura de la Vega were the
preferred repertoire, but
nowadays the 1,700-seat theater The Palacio de Justicia, home to Argentina’s legal system
is employed for anything from
lively musicals aimed at school In the 18th century, this area p Palacio de
audiences to cutting-edge new was still grassed over and was Justicia
dramas by emerging authors. part of the suburbs of the
The theater also houses the original city; in 1822, the military Talcahuano 550. City Map 3 D4.
 Tribunales. @ 29, 39, 109.
Museo del Instituto Nacional used the site to build a weapons
de Estudios de Teatro, which factory and as a barracks for
provides a brief yet interesting their artillery. Built during the 1890s, the
account of thes pian history In 1890, a group of 400 Greco-Roman Palacio was
in Argentina. protesters took over the land to designed by Norbert Maillart,
stage a demonstration against the architect behind the Centro
the presidency of Juarez Cultural Kirchner (see p73) and
o Plaza Lavalle Celman, and during the ensuing Colegio Nacional de Buenos
battle with government forces Aires. It was inaugu rated in
Bounded by Calles Tucuman &
Viamonte. City Map 3 D4. over 150 people were killed. 1942 and is home to the
 Tribunales. @ 29, 39, 109. Around the present-day nation’s scandal-ridden
“plaza” – in fact, there are three Supreme Court. The Palacio’s
Honoring Juan Lavalle, who other adjacent plazas – are a main hall features La Justicia,
crossed the Andes with the host of important buildings a statue by the renowned
hero of national liberation, José including the Teatro Colón and sculptor Rogelio Yrurtia.
de San Martín, this green, leafy the Teatro Nacional Cervantes, The court used to be open
space is a welcome refuge from as well as the oldest Jewish to the public but the frequency
the surrounding traffic and synagogue, the Templo of marches and protests made
scurrying young lawyers on Libertad, and the Palacio de the administration limit access
their way between their offices Justicia, the seat of the around the perimeter of
and the nearby law courts. Argentinian legal system. the building.

A shaded path through the leafy environs of the peaceful Plaza Lavalle

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