Buenos Aires Cabildo

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The Buenos Aires Cabildo (Spanish: Cabildo de Buenos Aires) was the public building in Buenos Aires that was used as government house during the colonial times of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate, and currently operates as a museum.

[edit] History

Mayor Manuel de Frías proposed to build the Cabildo at the Plaza de Mayo on March 3, 1608, since the government of the city lacked such a building. Its construction was financed with taxes from the Buenos Aires port, and it was finished in 1610, though it soon was found to be too small and had to be expanded.

In 1682, and due to lack of maintenance, the building almost became ruins, and the construction of a new Cabildo with 2 stories and 11 arcs wide was projected. But its construction did no start until July 23, 1725, it was suspended in 1728, and restarted in 1731. In 1731 works were again suspended due to lack of funds. The tower of the Cabildo was finished in 1764. Yet during the May Revolution of 1810 the Cabildo was still not completely finished.

The Cabildo was then used as a prison, a situation that lasted until a prison was constructed in the city.

In 1880 architect Pedro Benoit elevated the tower 10 meters and with a dome covered with glazed tiles instead of the traditional colonial red tiles. The elevated tower was demolished nine years later. In that year of 1889, to create space for the Avenida de Mayo avenue, the three northernmost arcs of the original eleven were demolished. In 1931, to create room for the Julio A. Roca avenue, the three southernmost arcs were removed, restoring the central place of the tower, but leaving only five of the original arcs.

In 1940, the architect Mario Buschiazzo reconstructed the colonial features of the Cabildo based on diverse documents of the time; the tower, the red tiles, the iron window-bars and the wooden windows and doors were repaired.

[edit] National Museum of the Cabildo

Currently, the Cabildo hosts the Museo Nacional del Cabildo y la Revolución de Mayo, in which paintings, artifacts, clothes and jewellery of the 18th century are in display. The patio of the Cabildo still has its 1835 Aljibe water well.