Argentina – Churches in Buenos Aires
A Basilica, a Convent and an Anglican Cathedral in Capital Federal
Jul 13, 2009
Hidden between the tall buildings of Buenos Aires’ financial district, stand two precious churches well worth a visit: St. John's Anglican Cathedral and Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Merced. The adjoining convent of San Ramón offers a splendid location for an authentic Argentinian lunch.
St. John's Anglican Cathedral – National Historic Monument
When the British founded a community in Buenos Aires in 1825, the governor of the city donated land to build a church [at Road 25 de Mayo, 282]. St. John's Anglican Church was one of the fist buildings in neoclassical style in Buenos Aires, with six massive columns supporting a plain, triangular tympanum, lined up on a high platform.
The interior has beautiful stained glass windows, especially at night when illuminated by lanterns from the outside. The organ dates from the 19th century and is still in use. The sides of the wooden benches still have the antique holders for umbrellas, although the marble trays on the floor, which prevented the dripping umbrellas from damaging the wooden benches, have disappeared. In 1869 the church was elevated to the status of cathedral and in 2000 St. John's Anglican Cathedral was declared a National Historic and Artistic Monument.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Merced
Nuestra Señora de la Merced is the patron saint of Barcelona and was brought to Argentina by the Spanish colonizers of South America. Within Argentina, several churches are dedicated to her. The construction of the first church took place at the beginning of the seventeenth century – a humble church made of mud and straw. The current church dates from 1779. It received the status of basilica minor in 1917 from Pope Benedicto XV.
Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Merced is a dark church, but worth a visit for its walls and ceiling covered in frescos, as well as for its baroque and rococo styled altar. The ceiling is currently under restoration. The vestibule has four beautiful stained glass windows, depicting Christ handing the keys to St Peter, the Annunciation, the Ascension of Mary, and St Martín of Tours cutting his cloak in half to share it with a beggar. St Martín of Tours is the Patron Saint of Buenos Aires and regularly depicted in its churches.
Reconquista 207 / open for sightseeing: Mon-Fri 9am-2pm and 3-7pm.
Convento de San Ramón
Adjacent to Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Merced is the convent that belongs to the Order of Merced. Like the Jesuits, this order arrived in Argentina in the sixteenth century but was expelled from the country in 1822, together with several other orders. Fortunately, the church and convent survived and were declared historic monuments in 1942.
The convent has guided tours, and is also worth a visit when in search of a place to find some peace and quiet. The thick walls around the courtyard shut out all the noise of downtown Buenos Aires. The cloisters house bric-a-brac shops as well as restaurants that are open for lunch.
A traveller can't have lunch in a more local ambience than here, seated among business people that work in the surrounding "Zona Bancaria" taking their lunch here. Try a typical Argentine lunch like "tallerines" [form of pasta] or "milanesa Napolitana" [breaded cutlets with ham and cheese] for 15-20 pesos, together with a good bottle of Argentinian wine.
Reconquista 269 / guided tours on Thursday at 4pm.
Related Articles to Argentina's Holy Sites and Places of Interests in Buenos Aires
- One of Buenos Aires' most visited sights is the beautiful cemetery of Recoleta.
- Resources for Travel to Argentina – Churches, Catherdrals and Places of Pilgrimages gives an overview of other religious places in Argentina, like the shrines of Gaucho Gil and Difunta Correa and churches in Santa Fe and Rosario.
- Resources for Travel in Argentina – Luján & Buenos Aires' Public Transport and Recoleta Cemetery gives an overview of other places of interests in Buenos Aires.
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