Attraction
Teatro Colón
Buenos Aires' great opera house, opened in 1908 with Verdi's Aida and famed for its acoustics, with daily 50-minute guided tours of its halls.
Palacio Barolo
A 100-metre office tower on Avenida de Mayo, completed in 1923 and designed around Dante's Divine Comedy, crowned by a lighthouse.
At a glance
- Type
- Historic office building and viewpoint
- Area
- Monserrat, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Good to know
- Guided visits
- Rooftop lighthouse
Why we recommend it
The Palacio Barolo is one of the most eccentric buildings in Buenos Aires. The Italian architect Mario Palanti designed it for the businessman Luis (Luigi) Barolo, and it opened in 1923 after four years of construction. When it was completed it was the tallest building in South America, rising about 100 metres above Avenida de Mayo, and it kept that title until the Kavanagh Building went up eight years later. It was also the city's first reinforced-concrete building of nearly that height.
What makes the Barolo special is its symbolism. Palanti based the design on Dante's Divine Comedy, dividing the building into three sections that correspond to Hell, Purgatory and Paradise: the basement and ground floor represent Hell, floors 1 to 14 Purgatory and floors 15 to 22 Paradise. The height of about 100 metres is said to match the hundred cantos of the poem. The style is a mix of Neo-Gothic and Art Nouveau with influences from Indian architecture, including the Palace of the Winds in Jaipur.
At the top is a rotating lighthouse. In 1923 it was used to announce the result of the world title fight between the Argentine boxer Luis Firpo and Jack Dempsey, and in 2010, during the Argentine bicentenary, the city restored it as the Faro del Bicentenario. Palanti also designed the similar Palacio Salvo in Montevideo, across the Río de la Plata, and the Barolo's beacon is said to be visible from there.
The building was designed for nearly 400 offices, and visitors see the interior on guided visits. The city tourism website includes the Barolo in its itineraries of essential sights, of Avenida de Mayo and of Buenos Aires from above, a hint at the views from the upper floors. Book a visit ahead, and choose a clear day if the views are your priority. The building's history, with Barolo's mysterious death, the 1929 crash and the Second World War all affecting its early years, gives the guides plenty to talk about.
The Barolo stands at Avenida de Mayo 1370 in Monserrat. It is a natural stop on a walk along the avenue from the Casa Rosada, and Café Tortoni is on the same street.
Palacio Barolo FAQs
Why is the Palacio Barolo linked to Dante?
Its architect, Mario Palanti, organised the building around the Divine Comedy, with sections representing Hell, Purgatory and Paradise.
How tall is it?
About 100 metres, with 22 floors; it was the tallest building in South America when it opened in 1923.
Can you visit inside?
Yes, on guided visits; book in advance.
What is the lighthouse?
A rotating beacon on the 22nd floor, restored in 2010 as the Faro del Bicentenario.
Is there a similar building elsewhere?
Yes, Palanti also designed the Palacio Salvo in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Where is it?
At Avenida de Mayo 1370, in Monserrat.
What is nearby?
Café Tortoni and the Casa Rosada are also on or beside Avenida de Mayo.