sábado, 31 de marzo de 2007

Plaza Miserere

I call it misery square :D On a side street very close to it is the disco (República Cromañón) that burned so badly on December 30 2004 with so many casualties. I can still hear the ambulances going on and off even in our neighborhood.

The Plaza de Miserere is one of the main plazas of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located in the heart of the Balvanera neighborhood. It was supposed to be the name of the Line A—Buenos Aires Metro station located below it, but the station is more popularly known as Plaza Once, and is located alongside the station Once de y Septiembre of the Ferrocarril Sarmiento (Sarmiento railroad).

The plaza lies on a site where forerly lay a mansion known as the Quinta de Miserere. Around 1814, it was known as Mataderos de Miserere (slaughterhouse of Miserere), Hueco de los corrales (Hole of the corrals) in 1817, and Mercado del Oeste (Western Market) by 1850. It was also known as Mercado (or Plaza) 11 de septiembre (Market or plaza 11th of September). The name Plaza Miserere dates from 1947.

The plaza was the site of skirmishes during the British invasions of 1806. It was the site of the defeat of the troops under Santiago de Liniers during the second invasions of 1807.

The market functioned until 1882, when Torcuato de Alvear (father of president Torcuato de Alvear) began the demarkation of the plaza. In 1913, it underwent an important remodeling when the subway station was built beneath it.

The current design is from 1923, the mausoleum of Bernardino Rivadavia was added in 1932, where his ashes remain despite his wish that the not stay in Argentina.

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