Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral and San Martín's Mausoleum

Why is it significant?

Standing before the northern boundary of Plaza de Mayo, you gaze upon an exterior that looks far more like an ancient Greek temple than a Catholic church: the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral.

Key Facts

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Standing before the northern boundary of Plaza de Mayo, you gaze upon an exterior that looks far more like an ancient Greek temple than a Catholic church: the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral. Founded in 1580 during the second founding of Buenos Aires by Juan de Garay, the church collapsed and was rebuilt six times before the present monumental neoclassical portico was completed in 1827 under the direction of French architects Prosper Catelin and Pierre Benoit. Twelve colossal Corinthian columns dominate the facade, symbolizing the twelve apostles, while the triangular tympanum above depicts the biblical reconciliation of Joseph and his brothers in Egypt.

Look closely at the outer wall to the right of the columns: a bronze urn holds a flickering eternal flame, honoring the memory of General José de San Martín and the unknown soldiers of South American independence.

Step inside into the dim, incense-scented nave, where an elaborate Venetian mosaic floor stretches beneath gilded barrel vaults. In the right lateral nave lies the grand marble mausoleum of General José de San Martín, the revered Liberator of Argentina, Chile, and Peru. Completed in 1880 by French sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse, the black marble sarcophagus is guarded day and night by two ceremonial grenadiers. Three life-sized female statues sculpted in Carrara marble represent the three nations he liberated. From 1998 until his election to the papacy in 2013, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio presided over this cathedral as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, preaching humility and taking the city subway to minister to marginal neighborhoods before becoming Pope Francis.

The contrast between the solemn neoclassical portico and the rich colonial gilded altarpiece of 1785 inside captures the complex spiritual heritage of the continent. Standing here before the flickering bronze flame, you sense how deeply independence and national identity remain intertwined with this sacred metropolitan sanctuary.

Walk southwest across the intersection toward the whitewashed arches and clock tower of the Cabildo.