One of the most overwhelmingly spellbinding buildings of Buenos Aires has to be Palacio Barolo on Avenida de Mayo, not yet crowed with tourists. The Palace was build as a tribute to one of Italia’ s greatest poets, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) of the Middle Ages, and his poetic masterpiece La Divina Commedia (The Divine Comedy, written circa 1308-1320). Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest works of world literature of all times, the trilogy is about the autobiographical character Dante’s trip to the hereafter in the Easter week of the year 1300. That is to say, it is a human drama of the journey through the three tiers of the Christian afterlife, upward from the burning fires of Hell (the Inferno), through Purgatory, to Heaven. A trip from the darkness to the divine light.
With this in mind, the Italian architect Mario Palanti designed Palacio Barolo, commissioned by the eccentric Italian immigrant and cotton tycoon Luis Barolo, who obviously was very enamored of Dante. Like many European immigrants in Argentina at the time, he thought that Europe was to suffer numerous wars destroying the entire continent. Determined to preserve the ashes of Dante, he decided to build the 22nd floor block. The master work was completed in 1923, and at the time it was the tallest building in South America.
The architectural represents a combination of various European architectural traditions, like neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque. There is even a dome inspired by the Jindu Rajarani Temple in India representing the union of tantric love between Dante and his beloved Beatrice, who in The Divine Comedy takes over as guide and leads Dante to Paradise when the poet and pagan Virgil cannot go further).
As the palace is describes as a marriage between literature and architecture, it tributes to the poem in every feature. Firstly the building is 100 meters, like the Divine Comedy has 100 songs (canto). Secondly the three sections of the construction are each dedicated to Dante’s heaven, purgatory and hell. Thirdly the 22 floors correspond to Dante’s 22 stanzas. The central passage has nine domes representing access to hell, not to mention the rooftop lighthouse, representing the nine angelic choirs, the several orders Angels are organized according to medieval Christian theologians.
To visit Palacio Barolo you need to book a tour in advance, both English and Spanish tours are offered. You can choose to go at day-time, or at night. Web site here: http://www.palaciobarolotours.com/
Saludos Hilda
Dante Alighieri is shown holding a copy of his epic poem The Divine Comedy. He is pointing to a procession of sinners being lead down to the circles of Hell on the left. Behind him are the seven terraces of Purgatory, with Adam and Eve representing Earthly Paradise on top. Above them, the sun and the moon represent Heavenly Paradise, whilst on the right is Dante’s home city of Florence. The illustration of Florence is self referencial, depicting the recently completed and much celebrated cathedral dome inside which the fresco is painted.
From the rooftop lighthouse, 100-meters above the central boulevard of Avenida de Mayo, you can capture panoramic views of Buenos Aires.
