Historic road paving to be restored in Capital

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    A court order left the City of Buenos Aires with 30 days to restore the historic road paving of certain bits of streets in three neighborhood. Apparently these had been removed due to road work and replaced with asphalt.


    This ruling came after 6 years of the issue being discussed in court. After such long time to come to a decision, it is quite appealing they are requesting for the remedial works to be carried out in just 30 days.


    Our street is mentioned in the article, but I don’t believe our block belongs to the historical streets, also because there are many buses passing right on our sidewalk.


    LA NACION - La Justicia ordenó reponer los adoquines originales en Palermo, Belgrano y Colegiales - http://www.lanacion.com.ar/2226078



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    The timing of the work schedule is surprisingly short, and the deliberations in court were surprisingly long. But hurray that the city recognizes the importance of maintaining the original materials of these historic streets!


    New Orleans spent more than a year digging up the old bricks of Bourbon Street in the historic French Quarter - - and replacing them with poured concrete! Zero regard for history.

    Some people thinks that this rush for repaving streets relaciong the old cobbles with concrete is not only an attack to preservation, but a good business. They withdraw the century or more cobbles and them are sold in the well to do mansions made in the Gated Communities. Of course, no contractor recognize a credit to the Government for this precious material and the bureaucracy has already made an "under the counter" agreement.

    Most of our cobbles were made in France and England, and came in the ships to allow having enough load when void, and returned full of weight of commodities like wheat, meat, etc.

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    I never had imagined that they were removed to be sold in mansions in upscale gated community. =O


    When we were still living in Zona Norte, we went to visit Palacio Sans Souci. The guide explained that once abandoned, it was raided and the marbled of the staircases were stolen, so other precious details and features both outside and inside of the mansion. The Association in charge of preserving the palace is now trying to restoring its original beauty, but it comes at a great expense and effort nowadays and they rely uniquely on donations.


    It can be visited by guided tour only, which are usually once in a while. It is also available for events.


    palac_sans_souci2.jpg

    This opportunistic stealing of priceless architectural elements seems to be part of the human condition. I’m thinking of the huge facing stones originally on the pyramids of the Giza pyramid complex, the Colosseum in Rome, countless ancient churches and palaces, etc.

    The same happened with the old chapels and small curches done by the Jesuits in the hills of Cordoba. Until the 1960's they were still untouched. Then came the antiques businessmen and convinced the caretakers for a few pesos to withdraw the paintings and sculptures of Saints made in the XVII and XVIII century,

    The concern for Heritage in this country began in the 1970, following the general trend commenced by Jacqueline Kennedy from 1963 onwards. Even in the USA such concern was non existent. That was a "collateral damage" of the triumph of the "Urban Renewal" fueled by the Modern Movement. (Le Corbusier, Mies Van der Rohe and all their followers).