Argentina: Rosario's Churches and Urban Museum
A Walking Tour Along Mural Paintings of Berni, Vanzo and Berlengieri
Pick up a map at the Tourist Information [corner Av Belgrano and Buenos Aires] and cross the street to the Aduana. The ground floor has been there since 1874, the rest was added in 1938. The hall houses a permanent exhibition with beautiful black & white photos depicting life in Rosario around 1900. Leave the building by the back, on Urquiza. Ready for coffee or a bite to eat? Check out 'El Pasaporte' [across the street], a cosy bar and a pleasant outdoor café.
Murals
Follow Urquiza westwards. In the first street on your left [Cabral], take a peek at the urban museum mural on the wall of the Majestic Hotel - a portrait of an elderly lady, by the Rosarion painter Antonio Berni. Continue on Urquiza and on your right you will see the 'Bandoneón' by Rosarion artist Julio Vanzo; further down there are two more on your left. Notice how in the second one the windows of the building are completely incorporated in the painting [by Juan Berlengieri]. Most murals are on or around Urquiza Street but you'll find them elsewhere in the city too.
Buildings With a Story
While Che Guevara's name is famous, it's not commonly known that his place of birth was here, in Rosario. On the corner with Entre Ríos Street you pass the Parisian-style apartment where Ernesto 'Che' Guevara was born. Two blocks further down on Urquiza, squeezed between the towering flats of the 21st century, you will find the picturesque, brick Anglican church of St. Bartholomew, dating from 1874.
Take a left onto Paraguay and stop at number 750. What does the façade tell you?Certainly not that in earlier days the building belonged to some Catholic, religious order and was a place where the monks ate. But according to the guard that is what it was. Rosario's buildings all have their own stories. Often you can find someone - owner, guard, employee - who will proudly show you around inside a building, telling its tale. You'll be surprised how much of the former wealth is still visible – stained glass, carved doorpanels, mosaic floors, tiled walls, etc. Notice also the differences in for example latticework, from Jugendstil to Art Deco to amalgams of traditional and modern styles.
Hidden Church
Continue on Paraguay until you hit the peatonal [pedestrian area] with Córdoba. Turn left, follow Córdoba for two blocks, and take a left onto Entre Ríos. The huge white construction houses La Universidad de Belles Artes y Humanidad. It's dilapidated and dirty, but the marble stairs still give it an air of a rich past. Ask for directions to the library because here lies the hidden treasure of this building - concealed amidst the chaos of the University you find complete silence in the library which is housed in an old, whitewashed church.
Centre of Cataluña
Across from the entrance of the University is a tiny bar. Enjoy a cup of coffee and savor a piece of excellent cake [ricotta-chocolate cake is recommended], while admiring the cosy old 'Centre of Cataluña' with its blue-tiled walls and marble stairs.
More Walking Tours
The cake renewed your energy? Two blocks down on Santa Fe and Sarmiento starts another walking tour, focussing on protected architecture in the city. Or pick one of the other walking tours around Rosario's historic legacy.
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