What if I told you that the park we’re standing in front of, Zoológico Villa Dolores, was once a dazzling spectacle of exotic animals and Victorian charm? A place where opera singer Enrico Caruso himself once marveled at polar bears and a performing elephant named Baby. This wasn’t always a public park. Zoológico Villa Dolores began its life in 1894 as a private collection. The creators were Alejo Anastasio Ibaceta and his wife, Dolores Pereira Buxareo, the Villa Dolores namesake. Picture this: sprawling grounds adorned with exotic plants, three shimmering artificial lakes, and even electric lights, a marvel at the time, illuminating the night for special events. The animal enclosures, reflecting the Victorian era, featured ornate cages and replicated their native habitats. The zoo even boasted a circus with an amphitheater, where Baby the elephant and other trained animals entertained crowds. In 1912, an incredible event occurred here at Zoológico Villa Dolores. Two Andean Condors were successfully bred, a first for the Americas and only the second instance worldwide. That same year, Zoológico Villa Dolores was bequeathed to the city of Montevideo, becoming the beloved municipal zoo generations of Uruguayans would cherish.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to