Visiting the Palacio Barolo
The history of the Palacio Barolo dates back to the early 20th century. Between 1919 and 1923, Italian architect Mario Palanti oversaw the construction of this unusual building, commissioned by a local textile tycoon named Luis Barolo. Standing at 100 meters tall, it held the title of the tallest building in the Americas until the completion of the Edificio Kavanagh (a residential tower built in 1935 in the Retiro neighborhood of Buenos Aires) in 1935. Beyond its scale, the building stands out for its unconventional design. This was intentional, as Mario Palanti drew inspiration from Dante and his Divine Comedy to ensure his creation stood apart from the rest of the city.
Divine inspiration
The building's 100 meters of height represent the 100 cantos of the medieval poem. In the same vein, the Palacio Barolo is divided into three distinct sections corresponding to the author's three books, namely Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. The details continue into the entrance hall, which is topped by 9 vaults representing the 9 circles of hell described in the legendary work. Furthermore, each floor contains either 11 or 22 offices, numbers that mirror the stanzas found in the Divine Comedy. A notable feature is the lighthouse at the summit. Originally, it was intended to exchange signals with its twin, the Palacio Salvo de Montevideo, which was also designed by the same architect in 1925. It remains a precise example of architectural obsession.
A very pretty building and a beautiful lighthouse at the same time. However, the price to access the lighthouse is quite expensive, maybe that is due to the economic crisis?