Visiting Batlle Park
The Parque Batlle is a sprawling public park in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. It gets its name from President José Batlle y Ordóñez, who served two terms leading the country in the early 20th century.
History
In 1907, Pablo Nereo Gabriel Antonio Pereira petitioned the economic management council for a donation of 11 arpents of land to create a park. Carlos Thays, a French architect hired as the project's landscape designer, began planting operations in 1911. He shaped the grounds as construction progressed.
In 1918, to celebrate the end of World War I, the park was renamed parc des alliés.
Later in 1930, Antonio Pereira bequeathed additional land by will to expand the park. This property, combined with new land acquisitions from the city council, brought the park to its current size of 60 hectares. It was also in 1930 that the park was officially named Parque Batlle y Ordóñez.
The Park
Batlle Park stands as one of the three major green spaces in the city, large enough to contain the Centennial Stadium with a capacity of 70,000 seats. This venue was built for the very first FIFA World Cup in 1930.
The surrounding blocks feature striking architecture. Notable examples include L'Hôpital Britanico, designated a national historic site in 1975, alongside the massive Hôpital de la faculté de médecine de l'université.
Visitors will also spot the Conedor universitario 2 and l'instituto de Higiene, both recognized as national heritage landmarks.
On the western edge of the park stands the imposing obélisque de Montevideo. This granite monument features three sides and rises to a height of 40 metres.
Batlle Park holds plenty of other architectural details and monuments to uncover during a stroll along its tree-lined paths. It offers a quiet break from the busy pace of the capital.
Just like Parque Rodo, this is one of the parks locals love on Sundays, and it houses the Centenario Stadium. It is also nice for grabbing a bite to eat at lunchtime. Plus, it is a little bigger than Rodo.