Casa Rosada

The Casa Rosada, or Pink House, is the seat of the Argentine presidency and stands on Plaza de Mayo. The site has been the centre of power since the city's earliest years: a fort stood here from 1594 and was replaced in 1713 by a masonry castle. The building you see today took shape in the late 19th century, when two separate buildings were joined together.

One part began as the Central Post Office, designed by Carl Kihlberg in the 1870s, while the other was the government house designed by Henrik Åberg in the 1880s under President Julio Argentino Roca. Francesco Tamburini, who also worked on the Teatro Colón, created the great central archway that unites them, and the combined building was completed in 1898.

The famous colour has several explanations. The best known is that Domingo Faustino Sarmiento had the building painted pink as a gesture of unity, mixing the red of the Federalists with the white of the Unitarians. Another story holds that the original paint was mixed with cow's blood to protect the walls from humidity. Either way, the colour has given the building its name. Åberg's design also included a long first-floor balcony from which the authorities could watch public festivities and parades.

Behind the palace, the Museo Casa Rosada tells the story of the presidency. A historical museum was created in 1957 to show presidential memorabilia such as sashes, batons, furniture and carriages, and excavations in the 1980s uncovered remains of the old fort and of Edward Taylor's 19th-century customs house, which are now part of the visit. It is a good stop for anyone curious about Argentine political history.

Arrangements for visiting the palace interior and the museum change from time to time, so check the official Casa Rosada website before you go. Even without going inside, the exterior and the square in front of it are worth seeing.

The palace sits at Balcarce 50, on Plaza de Mayo. The Metropolitan Cathedral stands on the same square, and Avenida de Mayo, home to the Palacio Barolo and Café Tortoni, starts here, making this the natural starting point for a walk through the historic centre.