Plaza Alvear and the Bicentennial Rubber Tree
Why is it significant?
Standing at the intersection of Avenida Alvear and Calle Junín, you enter Plaza Intendente Alvear, named after Torcuato de Alvear, the visionary first mayor who modernized Buenos Aires during the 1880s.
Key Facts
| Place | Plaza Alvear and the Bicentennial Rubber Tree |
|---|---|
| Address | Avenida Alvear & Junín, C1113 CABA, Argentina |
| Geo Coordinates | -34.58600, -58.38950 |
| Part of Walk | Recoleta Cemetery, Belle Époque Palaces, and Cultural Grandeur: The Paris of South America |
| Generated | Generated |
Standing at the intersection of Avenida Alvear and Calle Junín, you enter Plaza Intendente Alvear, named after Torcuato de Alvear, the visionary first mayor who modernized Buenos Aires during the 1880s. But the true living sovereign of this park is the colossal botanical titan spreading its limbs before you: the Gomero de la Recoleta, a bicentennial rubber tree belonging to the species Ficus elastica. Planted around the year 1800 by the Recolet Franciscan friars, this botanical marvel is over two hundred and twenty years old, making it one of the oldest and grandest living trees in Argentina.
Look at the sprawling lower branches: they are so massive and heavy that the city government installed eight concrete pillars and wooden crutches to support their weight.
The tree's sprawling crown spans an astonishing fifty meters in diameter, casting deep, cool shade over the cobblestones. Its tangled surface root system bulges from the lawn like undulating serpents, creating natural benches where generations of writers, university professors, and lovers have rested. Across the street stands the historic Café La Biela, established in 1850 and given its current automotive name in 1950 by Argentine racecar enthusiasts and friends of five-time Formula One World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio. Fangio and his fellow drivers met on La Biela's sidewalk terrace to discuss racing engines over espresso coffee. Inside the cafe, Fangio's trophies, vintage racing goggles, and black-and-white photos of racing roadsters adorn the walls.
Touching the smooth, elephantine bark of this two-hundred-year-old Ficus connects you to the pastoral era when Recoleta was a sleepy rural hillside of Franciscan vineyards overlooking the Río de la Plata. It remains a beloved living landmark where generations of city dwellers have found serenity beneath leafy boughs.
Walk south along the elegant flagstones of Avenida Alvear to reach the aristocratic Palacio Duhau at number 1661.