“Ever wonder what Buenos Aires looked like centuries ago?” La Casa Del Alfarera might not be ancient. But it stands as a testament to the city’s ever evolving story. We are standing before La Casa Del Alfarera. It is more than just a building. It is a portal to different eras.
La Casa Del Alfarera finds itself near Plaza de Mayo. The plaza has been the heart of Buenos Aires since its founding in 1580. Juan de Garay established the city. He named it Santísima Trinidad. The port retained the name of the original settlement.
Now imagine Buenos Aires in the early 19th century. The city was gaining independence. Buildings accommodated various national governments. These included Juntas, Triumvirates, and the first President of Argentina, Bernardino Rivadavia.
Consider Juan Bautista de Elorriaga’s house. It was one of the tallest in Buenos Aires. It stood nine meters high. This showed the owner’s status. Elorriaga was a merchant. He had a tower built to watch ships arrive. The Río de la Plata once reached Avenida Paseo Colón. The view was unobstructed.
In 1862, President Bartolomé Mitre remodeled the old official residence. Domingo Faustino Sarmiento embellished it. He landscaped the gardens. He painted the façade pink. The color remains to this day at another important building in the city.
President Julio A. Roca decided to enlarge the Government House. It was on the corner of Balcarce and Rivadavia streets. It was next to the Post & Telegraph Office. The Post & Telegraph Office had been constructed in 1873. It stood on Balcarce and Hipólito Yrigoyen streets. Today’s Casa Rosada joins both buildings.
In 1900, Casa Lepage filmed the first Argentine cinematographic recording. This recorded the visit of Brazilian president Campos Salles. He visited Argentine president Julio A. Roca. Casa Lepage had operated since 1880. It was in one of Pasaje Belgrano’s commercial premises.
The Guerrero family built a commercial gallery. It had rental housing on the top floor. The building featured a narrow internal passage. Stained glass windows were arranged over it. It connected Bolívar street with Belgrano avenue.
Consider how Buenos Aires has transformed. The city evolved from a colonial settlement. It blossomed into a vibrant metropolis. Each building has witnessed this change. La Casa Del Alfarera stands as a silent observer.
Today, La Casa Del Alfarera stands as a place of worship. It adds its own chapter to the city’s ongoing story. It reminds us that even simple buildings carry echoes of the past. It inspires us to think about the future.