UBA Faculty of Law and Monumental Doric Colonnade
Why is it significant?
Dominating the hillside along Avenida Figueroa Alcorta rises the colossal neoclassical temple of the Facultad de Derecho of the Universidad de Buenos Aires.
Key Facts
| Place | UBA Faculty of Law and Monumental Doric Colonnade |
|---|---|
| Address | Avenida Figueroa Alcorta 2263, C1425 CABA, Argentina |
| Geo Coordinates | -34.58320, -58.39200 |
| Part of Walk | Recoleta Cemetery, Belle Époque Palaces, and Cultural Grandeur: The Paris of South America |
| Generated | Generated |
Dominating the hillside along Avenida Figueroa Alcorta rises the colossal neoclassical temple of the Facultad de Derecho of the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Inaugurated on September 21, 1949, during the golden era of grand university construction, this monumental edifice was designed by architects Arturo Ochoa, Ismael Chiapore, and Pedro Vivent. Fronted by fourteen monumental Doric columns rising twelve meters high, the building evokes the solemn dignity of the Parthenon in Athens, symbolizing the timeless supremacy of constitutional law, justice, and democratic institutions.
Look up at the massive monumental stairs leading to the entrance: this vast granite staircase has served for decades as a vibrant public forum where generations of law students gather between lectures.
The University of Buenos Aires Faculty of Law is the undisputed intellectual incubator of Argentine civic leadership. Founded in 1821, the institution has educated sixteen Argentine presidents, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Carlos Saavedra Lamas, who won the 1936 prize for mediating the Chaco War peace treaty between Bolivia and Paraguay. Inside the grand Aula Magna auditorium, a monumental sixty-square-meter oil mural painted by Antonio González Moreno depicts the historic inauguration of the university in the Church of San Ignacio. The faculty also houses one of the largest specialized legal libraries in the Southern Hemisphere, boasting over one hundred thousand rare volumes, colonial legal codes, and constitutional treaties. The building's majestic limestone colonnade is dramatically illuminated at night, casting reflection over the lawns of Recoleta.
Standing at the foot of these fourteen colossal Doric columns allows you to feel the intellectual ambition and civic weight of an institution that shaped the constitutional history of Latin America. The massive limestone colonnade stands as an unshakeable monument to the rule of law and democratic principles.
Walk south along the park promenades toward the historic rubber tree of Plaza Intendente Alvear.