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The city center of Buenos Aires is cut in half by the gigantic Avenida 9 de Julio. This 140 meter wide street is the widest street in the world. It has seven lanes of traffic in either direction and two lane access roads on each side. To the east is Microcentro and to the west is the rest of El Centro. It also cuts through Barrio Monserrat.
Obelisk
An obelisk stands at Republic Square (Plaza de la República), at the intersection with Avenida Corrientes. The Obelisk of Buenos Aires (Obelisco de Buenos Aires) is 67.5m high and was built in 1936 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the foundation of Buenos Aires. Each of the four sides is dedicated to a different important event in Buenos Aires history. It’s often decorated for a holiday or specific cause.
The Obelisk stands in the exact same location where a church, San Nicolás de Bari, once stood. In 1812, the flag of Argentina was hoisted at this church for the first time in Buenos Aires.
Colón Theatre
A couple blocks north of the Obelisco you will find one of the most important buildings in Buenos Aires, Colón Theatre (Teatro Colón). It opened in 1908 and is ranked as the third best opera house and one of the top five acoustical buildings in the world. Some of the most famous opera singers have performed there. It’s open daily for tours.
Eva Perón Building
A few blocks south of Avenida de Mayo is a building with the face of Eva Perón. It’s the former Ministry of Communications building, and it’s the only building that sits in the path of Avenida 9 de Julio.
