Palacio San Martín and the Beaux-Arts Diplomatic Ministry

Why is it significant?

We conclude our architectural pilgrimage through aristocratic Buenos Aires before the overwhelming grandeur of Palacio San Martín, fronting the leafy slope of Plaza San Martín at Arenales 761.

Key Facts

Open the walk

We conclude our architectural pilgrimage through aristocratic Buenos Aires before the overwhelming grandeur of Palacio San Martín, fronting the leafy slope of Plaza San Martín at Arenales 761. Completed in 1912 as the private townhouse of Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena—matriarch of Argentina's wealthiest landowning dynasty—and designed by celebrated Norwegian-Argentine architect Alejandro Christophersen, this colossal palace is the most monumental private residential compound ever built in South America. Inspired by the French Neoclassical architecture of the École des Beaux-Arts, the palace is composed of three interconnected mansions organized around an immense oval Honor Courtyard paved with imported stone.

Look above the central entrance arch at the colossal wrought-iron and bronze carriage gates: they weigh over six metric tons and were custom-forged by master metalworkers in Paris.

Each of the three interconnected residences was assigned to one of Mercedes de Anchorena's three sons and their families, housing over one hundred and fifty family members, domestic servants, and private chefs. In 1936, the Argentine state acquired the palatial complex to serve as the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship. Within its lavish Golden Hall, mirrored galleries, and Winter Garden, the republic has hosted visiting kings, queens, presidents, and international peace negotiations. The palace houses an extraordinary art collection, including pre-Columbian ceramics, eighteenth-century European tapestries, and contemporary Argentine painting. Across the square stands the Equestrian Monument to General San Martín, sculpted in 1862 by French artist Louis-Joseph Daumas, honoring the liberator of the continent.

Standing in the majestic Honor Courtyard surrounded by soaring Corinthian pilasters and French slate mansards provides a breathtaking culmination to our exploration of the Paris of South America.

You have completed our Recoleta and Grand Palaces walk; explore the surrounding leafy promenades of Plaza San Martín or stroll down Calle Florida.