Urban Tourism: Buenos Aires - Coursework Example

Urban Tourism – Buenos Aires al affiliation Buenos Aires Introduction Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina. In the country had an estimated population of 40,765,000 people. Out of these, 2.9 million live in Buenos Aires City. Spanish is the widely spoken languages in the city (UNdata). The essay will focus on three major areas about the city; history of the city, modernity and post-modernity. The essay will also give an overview on what makes Buenos Aires one of the great tourist destinations in Latin America. The history of the city will include the founding of Buenos Aires and how it grew to become one of the largest cities in Latin America and why it became the capital of Argentina. The essay will examine the city’s past modernity features such as its economy, politics, and religion. Modernity will focus on the city’s modern features such as the capitalism, culture, and politics. Post-modernity will focus on the city’s current economic features and how it is turning to its ancient ways. Buenos Aires is one of the greatest tourist destinations in Latin America because it has historic features such as Plaza de Mayo, Recoleta Cemetery, Parque de la Memoria, Palacio Barolo, and MALBA Museum. Most of these tourist destinations date back to the founding of the city by the colonial government. In modernity section, the essay will focus on how and why Buenos Aires became a modern city. It will analyze features such as industrialization and capitalism. In pre-modernity section, the essay will focus on some of the features that make Buenos Aires a pre-modern city. It will analyze factors such as the return to the old culture and the preservation of ancient structures. In the tourist attraction sites, the essay will focus on the brief history of each site that is in the analysis. The essay will explain how and why each site was set up and how the authorities preserve them. The essay will also explain why these sites contribute to the city’s post-modernism characteristics. History of the city Buenos Aires was founded as an administrative centre in 1580 by the Spanish colonial government. In 1776, the city first became the capital of Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata under the colonial rule. After independence, the city again became the capital of United Provinces of Rio de la Platte. Conflict of interest arose between Federalists in the hinterland and Unitarians in the city. The federalists wanted to retain their autonomy while the Unitarians wanted to control the city and its larger hinterland. War broke out between the two opposing sides. The Unitarians eventually defeated the Federalists and Buenos Aires became the capital of Argentina (World Port Source). Buenos Aires is a tourist-historic city because of its appealing historical attractions. History is the main source of tourism. The city centre and its suburbs are the sources of attractions because they contain a wide range of historic buildings, museums, and memorial sites. From early 2000, museums and theatres have experienced changes due to increased funding from government and private sponsors. The move has increased the number of people who visit the sites. The city has also renovated some historic buildings in order to save them for future tourism. Modernity Modernity is the period from 1750s to 1970s. Buenos Aires experienced major economic transformations in late 1880s and early 1900. The city largely focused on capitalism and industrialization during the period. Modernity, therefore, made Buenos Aires look like a traditional European city. The city became a major beef processing centre in Latin America. Capitalism was fuelled by European immigrants who invested heavily throughout the country. Major processing industries such as beef processing factories were established in the city, a characteristic of modernity. The city became one of the commercial hubs in America because of fertile hinterland. The city increased its exports to Europe across the Atlantic Ocean (Brown 2001). Modernity was also characterized by the construction of railway lines linking Buenos Aires port with the hinterland. It was also marked by new inventions such as steam engines and refrigerators. In the previous years, Argentina had abandoned the export of wheat to Europe because of high costs of transport. The wheat, which thrived mainly in the hinterland, was difficult to get to the port Buenos Aires. Most farmers resorted to sheep and cattle ranching. After the construction of railway lines linking different parts of the country, the wheat became easier to transport. Production resumed immediately and by early 1900s, Argentina was one of the major exporters of wheat in the world (Campante & Glaeser 2009). The construction of the railway lines also helped in increasing the quantity of beef exports reaching Europe. The invention of refrigerated ships followed the construction of railway lines. Initially, Buenos Aires used to export durables such as hides and tallow because they could get to London without going bad. The introduction of steam engines and fridges on ships revolutionized exports. Buenos Aires was able to export processed beef and mutton to Europe. The rise in export of meat products escalated the growth of processing industries in the city. The railway networks also enhanced connection with the hinterland. The transport of cattle and sheep to the capital changed; cattle and sheep could be easily shipped rather than transported by foot to Buenos Aires (Campante & Glaeser 2009). Buenos Aires had a functioning democracy since independence from Spain. The democracy was, however, fragile. There were no proper democratic systems put in place. Nevertheless, the city occasionally held elections that put different leaders in power. Transition of power was a major challenge facing the city. The country’s civil wars brought much instability to the city. Frequent power struggles between rival political factions sometimes made transition of power bloody. Buenos Aires was also the capital of a new independent state. In addition to this, majority of its inhabitants were also migrants. Any discontent about leadership could, therefore, lead to a regime change governing the city (Campante & Glaeser 2009). Post modernity Post-modernity in Buenos Aires is the period from late 1970s to the present. It is characterized by skyscrapers, modern literature, and film industry. There are significant improvements in the living standards of the residents of Buenos Aires since the 2001 economic downturn that rocked the country. Most companies went bankrupt and closed down leaving tens of thousands of people jobless. The economy has, however, stabilized in recent years. The number of people living in the city is gradually increasing annually (Campante & Glaeser 2009). Despite these postmodern characteristics of Buenos Aires, the city still has many elements of modernity. It is, therefore, appropriate to classify Buenos Aires as a blend of modernity and post-modernity. The city has not achieved much of post-modernity elements because of its dark history. In early 1900, Buenos Aires was one of the richest cities of the world. Architecture resembled the French styles such as wide avenues, literary scenes, cafes and open spaces. The city was, thus, nicknamed the Paris of South America. It attracted the world’s great artists. Throughout the 20 century, Argentina experienced political instability involving military coups. The instability led to hyperinflation and economic collapse of the country including Buenos Aires. Much of the country’s economic gains, thus, came after the end of military rule. Buenos Aires is returning to its ancient state as a cultural city, another indicator of post-modernity whereby the past is regarded as the best. The city has resorted to a variety of strategies of reviving its past culture. Culture currently plays a major role in the country’s modern economy. The city has renowned cultural venues such as the Fine Arts National Museum, MALBA, Teatro Colón, and Decorative Arts National Museum. The cultural venues attract a large number of visitors from different parts of the world. The city also has film festivals such as BAFICI that has been experiencing a growing number of attendants. The city’s established cultural centers offer arrays of music, dance, visual arts, cinema, and theatre. The City’s Ciudad del Rock is a music venue popular with both national and international bands. The port area is undergoing redevelopment to make it entertainment and office areas. Buenos Aires organizes free-of-charge cultural events such as exhibitions, music festivals, book fairs, film theatres, circus performances, design showcases, and dance (Infoplease.com). The architectural designs are highly sophisticated. The city is resorting to constructing skyscrapers hundreds of meters tall. Some of them are even the tallest buildings in Latin America. They include buildings such as Torre Cavia, Alas Building, Yatch Towers, and Mulieris Towers. The city is also preserving and renovating some colonial structures purposely for tourism (Infoplease.com). Tourist sites in Buenos Aires Most of the tourist attraction sites in Buenos Aires are ancient colonial structures like buildings or memorial sites. They are mostly located within the city. The historical backgrounds of these tourist sites make them appealing to visit. They include Plaza de Mayo, Recoleta Cemetery, Parque de la Memoria, Palacio Barolo, and Museums. Plaza de Mayo Plaza de Mayo means the plaza of May. May is the month in which revolutionary movements against the Spanish colonial rule started in the country. In 1580, the Spaniard Juan de Garay established the site after returning from Spain following the failed earlier attempt to conquer the region. Plaza de Mayo has Argentina’s historical landmarks such as Pyramide de Mayo. The country’s revolutionary activists erected the monument in 1811 to mark the first anniversary of popular uprisings against Spain. Since its establishment, the site has hosted major political events in the history of Argentina. The site was a gathering point for Argentina’s pro independence uprisings from 1810 to 1816. In 1945, Plaza de Mayo was a gathering site for anti-government protests demanding the release of political activist Juan Peron (Taylor). Recoleta Cemetery Recoleta Cemetery, known in Argentina as La Recoleta, was officially opened in 1822 as a public cemetery in Buenos Aires. The cemetery is famous for its beautiful architecture, sculptures and stained glass windows. Recoleta Cemetery is a graveyard for prominent people in the country’s history. They include famous presidents, scientists, artists, doctors, writers, national heroes, and sports heroes. Some of them include General Juan Manuel De Rosas, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Luis Federico Leloir, Jose Hernandez, Guillermo Rawson and Zully Moreno Blanca. For a person to be buried in Recoleta Cemetery, social status was a key factor. There are several tombs constructed within the cemetery. The frequently visited tomb is the one for former first lady Eva Maria Duarte de Peron. She championed the rights of women in the country when her husband was serving as president (Mato 2002; Wright 2013). Parque de la Memoria Parque de la Memoria, or Memorial Monument in English, is one of the major tourist sites in Buenos Aires. It is a memorial site designed to commemorate the victims of Argentina’s military rule from mid 1970s to early 1980s. The state established construction plans for the site in 1998. The brutal regime launched state-sponsored terrorist activities in Argentina in an attempt to stop opposition protests. The military could occasionally seize opposition activists and drop them from aircraft into the ocean. Tens of thousands of Argentineans lost their lives in a brutal government crackdown known as Dirty War. Some of the names of these victims are written in monuments erected in the park. Parque de la Memoria is meant to be an emotional link of Argentineans with those who lost their lives during the military dictatorship (Jelin 2008). The Palacio Barolo Palacio Barolo is a building commissioned in 1923 by Luis Barolo, an Italian businessman who migrated to Buenos Aires. Luis Barolo wanted the building to resemble Alighieri Dante’s Divine Comedy (Martinez-Carter 2013). It has three sections representing Heaven, Purgatory and Hell. The Italian architect Mario Palanti designed and oversaw the construction of the building. Mario believed that the apocalypse would befall Europe. The only place where architecture could survive was Latin America. Palacio Barolo’s entrance is supposed to be hell; the patterns all over the entrance simulate fire. The building has 22 floors. The first 14 floors represent purgatory and floors 15 to 22 represent heaven. Palacio Barolo’s rooftop represents God and Salvation. The building is a magnificent architectural work. Palacio Barolo was accurately built in a way that the Southern Cross aligns with the tower on every 9th day of July at 7.45 pm. July 9 every year is the day Argentina celebrates its independence from Spain (Taylor). Casa Rosada The Casa Rosada, or the Pink Palace, is a former presidential palace in Buenos Aires. It was constructed in 1800s during the colonial era. The government partially demolished it in 1938. The building is an enigmatic attraction in Buenos Aires because of entrance restrictions imposed by the authorities. The authorities do not allow full exploration of the building. The building, however, houses a museum containing ancient Argentinean artifacts (Taylor). Metropolitan Cathedral The Metropolitan Cathedral is a Catholic church in the city that the colonial government built in 1745. The Argentinean authorities designated the structure a cathedral shortly after independence from Spain. The building was initially a façade containing religious carvings depicting the biblical story of Jacob and Joseph. Metropolitan Cathedral is the burial place for former General de San Martin who is widely regarded the father of the Argentinean nation. The Metropolitan Cathedral also has a memorial flame that serves as a reminder of the freedom struggle. In addition, it also contains the tomb of an anonymous soldier who died while fighting for the country’s freedom. There are several impressive chapels inside the cathedral containing a variety of catholic art and statutory. Some of the chapels also contain the statues of Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Trinity (Solar 2014). MALBA Museum MALBA museum was founded in 2001 by Eduardo Constantini. MALBA is an acronym of Museum of Latin America Art of Buenos Aires. The MALBA Museum contains famous works of Argentinean artists. It also has collections from other Latin American countries such as Venezuela and Brazil. Some of the artworks featured include Xul Solar, Roberto Matta, Julio Le Parc, and Antonio Berni. The museum displays a variety of sculptures, photographs, films, and installation works. The museum is also a cultural centre featuring independent films and also temporary exhibits. Most of the films featured are mainly from South American makers as well as the internationally recognized makers (Luongo, Malley and Pashby 2007). The National Museum of fine arts The National Museum of Fine Arts (NMFA) was founded 1895. Its initial residence was Plaza San Martin and Calle Florida. The national authorities later relocated it to Recoleta. It is among the best museums in the Argentine capital. The museum contains medieval international works as well as the twentieth century collections. The museum features mostly the works of Argentinean artists although there are some international representations (Estefanía 2006). Analysis The tourist sites in Buenos Aires are important in learning and appreciation of the history and culture of the city and entire country. Majority of them date back to the colonial era, a period when the Spaniards founded the city. They serve as a remembrance of past painful moments that the Argentineans underwent. Structures such as Plaza de Mayo, Recoleta Cemetery, Casa Rosada, and Metropolitan Cathedral are the city’s pre-modern features. The city is, however, preserving these ancient structures. The act of preserving such past structures suggests that the city is slowly turning back to its old practices. Such preservation implies that Buenos Aires sees the past as the best. The structures are, therefore, the city’s post-modernity characteristics. Buenos Aires post-modernity features are appealing because they are preservations of important historical events that help in uniting the country. The modernity characteristics such as railway lines played important roles in transforming the economy of the region. Conclusion Learning about the history of Buenos Aires makes one appreciate the culture and heritage of the city. Most of the tourist sites located within the city are appealing and of much interest. They are mostly part of the city’s history from inception to the present day. The sites serve as a remembrance of the city’s best and worst moments. Buenos Aires has gone through good and bad times and all of these are evident from the past structures. Buenos Aires is a tourist destination because it has structures such as Plaza de Mayo, Recoleta Cemetery, Parque de la Memoria, Palacio Barolo, and MALBA Museum. The preservation of these sites contributes to the city’s classification as a post-modern city. Modernity in the city started in late 1750s and ended in 1970s. Some of the major characteristics were capitalism and industrialization. The major contributions of modernity were scientific inventions. The scientific inventions included construction of railways and building of advanced ships containing refrigerators. Post-modernity in the city is the period from 1970s to the present. It is characterized by preservation of ancient structures and the return to the past culture. The presence of skyscrapers also portrays it. Some of the skyscrapers are among the tallest in South America. Plaza de Mayo is the city’s revolutionary site. It is a place where revolutionary movement gatherings start. Recoleta Cemetery is a graveyard for prominent people in Argentina’s history. Palacio Barolo is a building resembling Alighieri Dante’s Divine Comedy of Heaven, Purgatory and Hell. Casa Rosada is a former presidential palace. Metropolitan Cathedral houses the ancient Catholic religious carvings. MALBA museum and NMFA are the city’s post-modern features. References Brown, J. C. (2001). The Rise of Capitalism on the Pampas: The Estancias of Buenos Aires, 1785-1870 .Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/hispanic_american_historical_review/v080/80.1brown.html Campante, F., & Glaeser, E. (2009, June).Yet another tale of two cities: BuenosAires and Chicago.National Bureau of Economic Research. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://scholar.harvard.edu/files/glaeser/files/yet_another_tale_of_two_cities_buenos_aires_and_chicago.pdf Estefanía, L. (2006). A visit to Buenos Aires National Museum of Fine Arts. Buenos Aires: Ed. Albatros. INFOPLEASE, (n.d).Buenos Aires. Retrieved May 23, 2014, from http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/buenos-aires-history.html Jelin, E. (2008). The Politics of Memory: the Human Rights Movement and the Construction of Democracy in Argentina. London: Routledge. Luongo, M., Malley, C., &Pashby, C. (2007).Frommers Argentina. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Martinez-Carter, K (2013, March 14). Preserving history in Buenos Aires.BBC Travel. Retrieved May 21, 2014, from http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20130226-preserving-history-in-buenos-aires Mato, O. (2002). City of angels: the history of Recoleta Cemetery: a guide to its treasures. Buenos Aires: O. LópezMato. Solar, I. I. (2014). The Cathedral of Buenos Aires — Four centuries of construction. Digital Journal. Retrieved May 23, 2014, from http://digitaljournal.com/life/travel/the-cathedral-of-buenos-aires-four-centuries-of-construction/article/383817 Taylor, D. (n.d.). Casa Rosada. Destination 360. Retrieved May 23, 2014, from http://www.destination360.com/south-america/argentina/buenos-aires/casa-rosada UNdata, (n.d.).Country Profile:Argentina. United Nations Statistics Division. Retrieved May 23, 2014, from http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=ARGENTINA World Port Source, (n.d).Port of Buenos Aires.Retrieved May 23, 2014, from http://www.worldportsource.com/ports/review/ARG_Port_of_Buenos_Aires_47.php Wright, R. (2013, October 6). Recoleta Cemetery.AfterLife. Retrieved May 22, 2014, from http://www.recoletacemetery.com/ Appendix Itinerary Day 1 3.00 pm Arrive at Ministrio Pistarini International Airport 4.00 pm Head to Casa Calma Hotel, Buenos Aires City 5.00 pm Arrive at Casa Calma Day 2 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Depart to Plaza de Mayo 1.00 pm Lunch at Casa Calma 2.00 pm Head to Plaza de Mayo 4.30 pm Head to Casa Calma Day 3 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Depart to Recoleta Cemetery 1.00 pm Lunch at Casa Calma 2.00 pm Head to Recoleta Cemetery 5.30 pm Head to Casa Calma Day 4 7.00 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 7.30 am Depart to Recoleta Cemetery 2.00 pm Lunch at Casa Calma 3.00 pm Take a walk around the city 6.00 pm Head to Casa Calma Day 5 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Depart to Parque de la Memoria 1.00 pm Lunch at Casa Calma 2.00pm Take a walk around the city 6.00 pm Return to Casa Calma Day 6 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Head to Mulieris Towers, the third tallest building in Buenos Aires. 9.00 am Head to Torre Cavia, the second tallest building in the city 10.00 am Tour of tallest skyscraper in the city. Head to Torre Renoir II. 12.00 pm Head to La Boca 1.00 pm Lunch at Casa Calma 2.00 pm Take a walk along the streets within the city centre 6.00 pm Head to Casa Calma Hotel Day 7 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Head to Punta del Este peninsula, Uruguay. 6.00 pm Arrive at Casa Calma Day 8 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Depart to Palacio Barolo 2.00 pm Lunch at Casa Calma 3.00pm Head to Madero office Tower 6.00 pm Head to Casa Calma Day 9 - 12 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Depart to the suburbs of Buenos Aires 6.00 pm Return to Casa Calma Day 13 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Depart to Casa Rosada 6.00 pm Return to Casa Calma Day 14 – 15 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Depart to Metropolitan Cathedral 1.00 pm Lunch at Casa Calma 2.00 pm Head to Metropolitan Cathedral 6.00 pm Return to Casa Calma Day 16 – 18 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Head to MALBA museum 2.00 pm Lunch at Casa Calma 3.00 pm Head to Torre Renoir II. 6.00 pm Return to Casa Calma. Day 19 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Head to The National Museum of Fine Arts 9.00 pm Return to Casa Calma Day 20 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Head toCariló beach 6.00 pm Return to Casa Calma. Day 21 7.30 am Breakfast at Casa Calma 8.00 am Head to Torre Renoir II, the tallest building in the city 11.00 am Return to Casa Calma 1.00 pm Check out at Casa Calma 1.30 pm Head to Ministrio Pistarini International Airport 2.30 pm Check in ate the airport. 3.00 pm Departure of Buenos Aires Read More