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About Monserrat
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South of the Plaza de Mayo is the smallish barrio of Monserrat which has wonderful architecture. Manzana de las Luces (block of enlightenment) is a block of buildings constructed by the Jesuits in the 17th and 18th centuries and is bound between Alsina, Peru, Bolivar and Moreno. Tel: +54 (0) 11 4342 3964. Guided tours from Peru 272, Mon-Fri 3pm, Sat-Sun 3pm, 4.30pm and 6pm.
Also in this block is the Iglesia San Ignacio, the oldest colonial church in Buenos Aires, and Argentina’s most prestigious school, the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires. Underneath the block is a warren of tunnels which maybe helped the Jesuits smuggle contraband. Just behind the church is a walled patio of the Procuraduria de las Misiones, the 18th-century Jesuit headquarters. On the opposite corner from the church is the city’s oldest bookshop, the Libreria de Avila. Tel:+54 (0) 11 4331 8989. A couple of blocks south is the Biblioteca Nacional on Mexico 564, where the writer Jorge Luis Borges once worked.
The preserved Farmacia de la Estrella on the corner of Defensa with Alsina will take you back to 19th-century chemists with its wooden panelling and classic old weighing scales. Above is the farmacia is the Museo de la Ciudad which has a permanent display of toys over the ages as well as continually changing exhibitions dedicated to the life and customs in Buenos Aires. Open daily 11am-7pm. Free on Wednesdays. Tel: +54 (0) 11 4343 2123. Closed Jan.
The Museo Etnografico Juan Bautista Ambrosetti on Moreno 350 details the various indigenous groups – the Mapuches, Yaghans and Onas – who inhabited Argentina long before the Spanish conquest. It also recounts the story about Jimmy Button, who was taken from Tierra del Fuego to England in the early 19th century. Tel: +54 (0) 11 4331 7788. Open Tues-Fri 1pm-7pm, Sat-Sun 3pm-7pm and tours on Sat-Sun 4pm. Closed Jan.
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