Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires: the cathedral that looks like a Greek temple, and the church Pope Francis called home for fifteen years
Sulla Plaza de Mayo, a Buenos Aires, sorgevano diverse chiese sul sito dell’attuale cattedrale fin dal tardo XVI secolo; l’edificio attuale iniziò a essere costruito metà del XVIII secolo (i lavori risalgono al 1754 circa) e fu consacrato come cattedrale negli anni successivi. La sua caratteristica più distintiva è la facciata neoclassica, priva di torri campanarie o cupola visibile dal fronte, con un portico di dodici colonne e un timpano triangolare che le conferiscono l’aspetto di un tempio greco o romano piuttosto che di una tipica cattedrale: il progetto, iniziato dall’architetto spagnolo Tomás Toribio, fu completato dagli architetti francesi Prosper Catelin e Pierre Benoit a partire dal 1826, ispirandosi al Palazzo Borbone di Parigi, con lavori proseguiti fino al 1860-1863 per i rilievi decorativi del timpano. Secondo un’interpretazione ampiamente diffusa ma non confermata da fonti architettoniche primarie, le dodici colonne simboleggerebbero i dodici apostoli. All’interno della cattedrale si trova il mausoleo del generale José de San Martín, liberatore di Argentina, Cile e Perù, morto in Francia nel 1850 e le cui spoglie furono trasferite qui il 29 maggio 1880: il monumento presenta tre figure femminili che rappresentano le tre nazioni liberate, ed è sorvegliato giorno e notte dai Granaderos, il reggimento di cavalleria fondato dallo stesso San Martín. Dal febbraio 1998 al marzo 2013, quando fu eletto Papa con il nome di Francesco, Jorge Mario Bergoglio guidò l’arcidiocesi di Buenos Aires proprio da questa cattedrale, dove oggi si trova un museo a lui dedicato. La cattedrale, affacciata sulla Casa Rosada, resta un punto di riferimento tanto religioso quanto politico nella storia argentina.
About the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires
On the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, several earlier churches occupied the site of the present cathedral from as early as the late 16th century; construction of the current building began around the mid-18th century, roughly 1754, and it was consecrated as a cathedral in the years that followed. Its most distinctive feature is a Neoclassical facade, lacking bell towers or any dome visible from the front, presenting a portico of twelve columns beneath a triangular pediment that gives the building the appearance of a Greek or Roman temple rather than a conventional cathedral; the design, begun by the Spanish architect Tomás Toribio, was completed by French architects Prosper Catelin and Pierre Benoit from 1826 onward, drawing inspiration from the Palais Bourbon in Paris, with work on the pediment’s decorative reliefs continuing until 1860-1863. According to a widely repeated but not authoritatively confirmed interpretation, the twelve columns symbolise the twelve apostles. Inside the cathedral stands the mausoleum of General José de San Martín, liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru, who died in France in 1850 and whose remains were transferred here on 29 May 1880; the monument features three female figures representing the three liberated nations, and is guarded day and night by the Granaderos, the cavalry regiment San Martín himself founded. From February 1998 until March 2013, when he was elected pope under the name Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio led the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires from this cathedral, which today houses a museum dedicated to him. Facing the Casa Rosada, the cathedral remains as much a political as a religious landmark in Argentine history.
Key facts
- c. 1754: construction of the current cathedral begins
- Neoclassical facade, twelve columns, no visible bell towers or dome, from 1826
- 29 May 1880: the remains of José de San Martín transferred to the cathedral
- Guarded by the Granaderos, the cavalry regiment San Martín founded
- 1998-2013: Jorge Mario Bergoglio serves as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, based here, before becoming Pope Francis
- Located on the Plaza de Mayo, facing the Casa Rosada presidential palace
History
The Metropolitan Cathedral’s unconventional Neoclassical facade, deliberately evoking a Greek or Roman temple rather than a typical Latin American colonial church, sets it apart architecturally among the continent’s major cathedrals, its French-designed portico reflecting the cosmopolitan cultural currents shaping post-independence Buenos Aires. The cathedral’s role as the resting place of José de San Martín and, over a century later, as the seat from which Jorge Mario Bergoglio rose to the papacy, has made it a focal point of Argentine national memory that extends well beyond its religious function.
What you see
The cathedral’s twelve-column Neoclassical portico, completed under Catelin and Benoit from 1826, dominates the facade facing the Plaza de Mayo, its temple-like profile unusual among South American cathedrals. Inside, the elaborate mausoleum of José de San Martín, flanked by an eternal honour guard of Granaderos, stands alongside a museum dedicated to Pope Francis’s years as archbishop of the city.
Practical information
- Opening hours: generally open daily with seasonal variation; free admission; check current hours before visiting
- Address: Plaza de Mayo, San Martín 27, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Getting there
The Metropolitan Cathedral stands on the Plaza de Mayo in central Buenos Aires, easily reached via Catedral subway station. GPS: 34.6074° S, 58.3733° W.
Nearby
- Casa Rosada — the Argentine presidential palace, directly across the Plaza de Mayo
- Cabildo — the historic colonial-era town hall, nearby
- Plaza de Mayo — Buenos Aires’s central square, site of major events in Argentine history
Sources
- Wikipedia — “Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral” (en.wikipedia.org)
- City of Buenos Aires official tourism site — “The Metropolitan Cathedral” (turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar)
- Atlas Obscura — “Mausoleum of José de San Martín in Buenos Aires” (atlasobscura.com)
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