MANZANA DE LAS LUCES - IGLESIA SAN IGNACIO
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Complex of buildings and tunnels built by the Jesuits in the century, located between Perú, Alsina, Bolívar and Moreno streets
Located between Perú, Alsina, Bolívar and Moreno streets, in the Montserrat district, the Manzana de las Luces (District of Lights) is a historic complex built by the Jesuits in the 17th century. The manzana includes some of the capital's oldest buildings, such as the San Ignacio church, built between 1686 and 1722 by the Jesuits. Its well-preserved white Baroque façade, dating from 1710, is the oldest in Buenos Aires. The term Manzana de las Luces was first used by the newspaper El Argos in 1821, in reference to the many cultural and intellectual establishments housed on this city block. Important cultural institutions such as the Colegio de San Ignacio - now the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires - the former building of the University of Buenos Aires, the first theater, the city's first museum, La Real Imprenta de Niños Expósitos and the National Library were all located here. There is also a series of tunnels (currently closed to the public), the exact reason for their construction in the 17th century is unknown. Several theories have been put forward: a defense system, the transport of smuggled goods or a hiding place for the forbidden love affairs of patricians in colonial times. A pleasant visit, punctuated by explanatory panels (in Spanish), takes us back to the Buenos Aires of pre-independence times.
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