Dante Alighieri´s Influence on the Design of the Palacio Barolo

Located just a few blocks east from the Congreso Nacional (map), on the picturesque Avenida de Mayo, you will find one of the most impressive buildings in Buenos Aires, the Palacio Barolo (map).

Constructed with funds donated by an Italian textile tycoon Luis Barolo, and designed by architect Mario Palati, it was inaugurated in 1923 and remained for 12 years the tallest skyscraper in the city. The dome is 16 meters in height and was inspired by and Indian Temple. The lighthouse at the top of the building can be seen all the way in Montevideo, Uruguay.

The most interesting feature is that you can see Dante’s Divine Comedy influence in the design, motivated by the architect’s admiration for Alighieri, with references to hell, purgatory and Heaven. For example: it is 100 meters tall in reference to the number of songs; 22 stories to the number of verses, three overall sections corresponding to Hell, Purgatory and Heaven (the basement and ground floor represent hell, floors 1-14 are the purgatory, and 15-22 represent heaven).

The basic design, in eclectic and non academic style, was conceived simultaneosly with one for the Palacio Salvo in Montevideo, Uruguay, for both were designed by Mario Palanti and were to be very close to each other in spirit and mode. The Palacio Salvo is still Montevideo’s tallest buildings. Lonely Planet describes Palacio Barolo´s Uruguayan twin as an ‘art deco rocket about to take off’ and the same could be said here, though that description might not be as obvious since the Palacio Barolo is not as solitary a structure as is the Palacio Salvo which sits directly on Independence Square when the Palacio Barolo is one of many buildings you have to look above the leafs along the Avenida de Mayo for.

The building is private, so all of those inner references to the Divine Comedy will have to wait for a good friend to show you around.

Photo credit: Planeteye