Plaza Francia and the Monument of the French Community
Why is it significant?
Descending the lush green hillside from the cemetery terrace, you enter the picturesque grounds of Plaza Francia.
Key Facts
| Place | Plaza Francia and the Monument of the French Community |
|---|---|
| Address | Avenida del Libertador 1400, C1425 CABA, Argentina |
| Geo Coordinates | -34.58450, -58.39150 |
| Part of Walk | Recoleta Cemetery, Belle Époque Palaces, and Cultural Grandeur: The Paris of South America |
| Generated | Generated |
Descending the lush green hillside from the cemetery terrace, you enter the picturesque grounds of Plaza Francia. Laid out in the 1890s by the brilliant French-Argentine landscape architect Carlos Thays, this park epitomizes the Belle Époque dream of transforming Buenos Aires into the Paris of South America. Thays masterfully sculpted the natural bluff with winding gravel paths, gentle sloping lawns, and imported exotic flora: soaring ombú trees with colossal surface roots, purple-blossoming jacarandas, and towering royal palms framing distant glimpses of the river.
Walk toward the center of the lawn to admire the magnificent white monument: an elaborate sculptural composition executed in pure white Carrara marble and red granite.
Unveiled in 1910 during the lavish centennial celebrations of the May Revolution, this monument was a gift of gratitude to the Argentine nation from the resident French community. Sculpted in Paris by French artist Edmond Peynot, the monument features four monumental marble reliefs at its base illustrating pivotal historical connections between France and Argentina: the storming of the Bastille, the May Revolution of 1810, the crossing of the Andes by General San Martín, and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man. Crowning the granite pedestal are two heroic bronze figures: France and Argentina, clasping hands as sisters under the gaze of an allegorical winged Angel of Progress. On sunny weekends, the hillside transforms into a bustling artisan market where craftspeople display hand-carved leather goods, silver mate gourds, and pottery.
Resting on the sloping lawn beneath the shade of century-old tipas while gazing at Peynot's marble figures captures the deep Francophile cultural romance of Argentina's golden age. The gentle murmur of park fountains and children playing under the jacaranda blossoms creates an enchanting open-air haven.
Walk north along Avenida del Libertador to the terracotta facade of the National Museum of Fine Arts.