Page 90 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Argentina

88  BUENOS AIRES AREA B Y AREA

e Museo de
Bellas Artes de
La Boca Benito
Quinquela Martín
Ave Pedro de Mendoza 1835. City
Map 1 F4. Tel (011) 4301-1080. @ 29,
33, 152. Open Jan–Feb: 11am−
5:30pm Tue−Sun; Mar–Dec: 10am–
6pm Tue–Fri, 11am–6pm Sat, Sun, &
hols. 8 by prior arrange ment. 7
^ ∑ buenosaires.gob.ar/
museoquinquelamartin
The building that houses the
Museo de Bellas Artes dates
Boats docked at La Vuelta de Rocha back to 1933, when famous
Argentinian artist Benito
q Puente pic tures que sub-barrio of La Quinquela Martín (1890–1977)
Transbordador Boca that claims to be the cradle donated a plot of land to the
Nicolás Avellaneda of the dance that seduced fin de nation. He stipula ted that a
siècle Paris. It also lays claim to primary school, a gallery,
Ave Pedro de Mendoza, cnr Almirante an interesting history. and a workshop be built
Brown. City Map 1 F4. @ 29, 33. Given to the mer chant on the site. The museum
Antonio Rocha in 1635, La assumed its current form
The Puente Transbordador Vuelta became a makeshift in 1968 when Martín
Nicolás Avellaneda is named for port. It was here that donated 50 of his
the president who governed Admiral Guillermo water colors and 27 of
Argentina between 1874 and Brown assembled a his oil paintings to be
1880. Porteños famously refer to small but determined hung there. The works
it as “the bridge in La Boca’s” and navy to fight in the of other prom inent
it appears in numer ous tango- Independence Wars. The artist Benito Argentinian artists are
themed films as an evocative Later it was the Quinquela Martín also dis played, as well as
icon of the city. Opened in 1914 disembarkation point various objects related
by the Ferrocarriles del Sur for thousands of Genoese to the port’s history. Several of
railroad company, it stands as immigrants and the berth the terraces of the building hold
a reminder of the country’s of the Vapor de la Carrera, a works by well-known Argentinian
prosperous grain-rich era. steamship that once sailed sculptors, including Rogelio Irurtia
This “transporter bridge” daily to Montevideo and now and Correa Morales. While many
looks as sturdy as when it first houses a quaint restaurant and Argentinian artists have been
opened, but it has in fact not a colorful artisan fair. La Vuelta’s associated with La Boca, which is
been used since 1940. Gondolas steamships and sailors are long still a hugely popular bohemian
were once suspended from the gone but the spirit of adventure area, the name and reputation of
bridge and towed across the still lingers. Benito Quinquela Martín towers
Riachuelo, taking people and above them all. His watercolors
goods over the river to the depict everyday life as it once
southern suburbs. This function was on and by the river, and the
is now fulfilled by the adjacent close rela tion ship between the
iron bridge, which, confusingly, artist, his work, and his envi ron-
bears the same name. ment is vividly evident in the
La Boca that he portrayed.
w La Vuelta
de Rocha r Fundación Proa
Calle del Valle Iberlucea y Ave Ave Pedro de Mendoza 1929.
Don Pedro de Mendoza. City Map City Map 1 F4. Tel (011) 4104-1000.
1 F4. @ 29, 33, 152, 159. @ 29, 33, 152, 159, 168.
Open 11am−7pm Tue−Sun. & 8
It is popularly said that truly to by prior arrangement. 7 ^ - =
understand tango you need to ∑ proa.org
loiter a while at this street on
the elbow of the Riachuelo river. Opened in 1996, the Fundación
La Vuelta de Rocha (The Corner Display of wares at the crafts market at Proa is housed in an elegant
of Rocha) is a grubby yet La Vuelta de Rocha Italianate building that dates
For hotels and restaurants in this area see p278 and pp288–9

088-089_EW_Argentina.indd 88 05/08/16 10:40 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm