Tuesday, 7 October 2014
I walked on to the Cathedral, passing by the Montevideo Bank Building and the Stock Exchange. The Cathedral was built in 1790 and is still in use. I spent some time in the Cathedral, it had beautiful paintings and sculptures, and the main altar was very inspiring. Then I stopped for a quick lunch and bought some panadols at a farmacy because my head ache was not going away.
After the Cathedral I walked to the Constitution Square, established in 1726. During the first decades of Uruguayan independence this square was the main hub of city life. On the square are the Cabildo (the seat of colonial government) and the Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral. Then I walked along the Sarandi Pedestrian Street and the Bacacay Pedestrian Street until I reached the Gate of the Original Citadel of Montevideo, built in 1746. Here ends the Old City and begins the new. There were many museums along the way, all of which I ignored due to the lack of time.
Before crossing over to the new city, to the right of the Gate was the Teatro Solis, the main wing was built in 1842 to 1856 and the lateral wings, one on each side of the main wing, was built in 1869. This is the oldest theatre in Uruguay, and is now owned by the government of Montevideo.
Then comes Independence Plaza, the most important plaza in Montevideo, dividing the Old City and the new city. This was the original site of the Citadel of Montevideo, and was established in 1836. There is a statue of Jose Gervasio Artigas in the centre of the plaza, he is the hero of Uruguay's independence movement. The Artigas Mausoleum is supposed to be located at the centre of the plaza, but I could not see it. Around the Independence Square is the Government House where the President of Uruguay works.
Once I crossed Independence Plaza, I was on Avenida 18 de Julio. Right at the beginning of this avenue there is a beautiful building named Palacio Salvo. This building was designed by Mario Palanti, an Italian immigrant living in Buenos Aires. He was the same man who designed the Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires, which was once the tallest building in South America, until Palacio Salvo came along. Having seen both buildings, they both look similar in design but I must say Palacio Salvo looks more beautiful and dignified. Palacio Salvo was built from 1922 to 1928. The building was originally intended to be a hotel, but this plan didn't work out, and it has since been occupied by a mixture of offices and private residences. The building has a height of 95 m, and it once had a set of antennas at its top, making its total height 100 m. The antennas were permanently removed in November 2012. For decades it was the tallest building in South America.
Right across the street from Palacio Salvo is a building called Palacio Rinaldi, and beside this building is the Jockey Club Building. Then I saw a shop called Indian Emporium, complete with the Aum symbol, and I just had to take a picture for Appa, despite the possibility of Appa claiming that the Indians discovered Uruguay! Then my hotel. 2 doors away from my hotel is a building called Palacio Brasil, and a few doors away the Uriarte de Heber Palace, and then the Cine Rex Building. Then another plaza known as Fabini Square, and opposite this is a sculpture called El Entrevero, done in 1967 by an Uruguayan artist, Jose Belloni. Then the London Paris building with a clock at the top of the building, built in 1908, the Chiarino Palace, the Liberty Statue in the middle of the avenue, Cagancha Square, the Supreme Court which was built in 1916 and had 2 guards standing guard at the entrance and the Cafe Montevideo Building. There were many other buildings in between but I was only looking at the more interesting looking buildings, old and intricate designs.
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