El Pilar

Location:
Argentina

church, Buenos Aires

By Jeremy Helligar

Anyone who's spent quality time in the great European capitals knows beautiful churches. And to be perfectly honest, on the inside, Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar is more of the same—vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows, intricate high-relief religious sculptures. But sometimes it IS what's on the outside that counts. The oldest church in Buenos Aires, El Pilar is gorgeous in its white, colonial simplicity, which immediately sets it apart from Europe's ornate cathedrals. Located in a prime spot adjacent to the Recoleta Cemetery and the grassy knoll of Plaza Francia, which attracts a huge weekend crowd of tourists, performers, and arts and crafts peddlers, it's best admired at night when the lights cast shadows all over the facade, creating a castle-like effect that makes it look more like royal quarters than a house of the holy. Junin 1904; 4803-6793; www.basilicadelpilar.org.ar

Further Information

Travel tips: There are multiple daily masses, and you can arrange to go to confession or to have weddings and baptisms here.

Must see/do at this place: The view from outside at night.