The Obelisk

You've reached the symbol of Buenos Aires. This white obelisk appears on postcards, at football celebrations and at protests, yet it nearly disappeared three years after it was born.

1A monument to the first founding

It was built in 1936 to mark the 400th anniversary of the first founding of Buenos Aires, Pedro de Mendoza's in 1536. Architect Alberto Prebisch designed it, and a German firm built it at astonishing speed: sources speak of a matter of weeks. It was inaugurated on 23 May 1936 and stands 67.5 metres tall.

2Where the flag first flew

This site was once occupied by the church of San Nicolás de Bari, demolished to open Avenida 9 de Julio. From its tower the Argentine flag flew for the first time in the city, in 1812. An inscription on the Obelisk's north face recalls it.

In June 1939 the city council voted to demolish it, 23 votes to 3, citing aesthetic, economic and safety reasons. The mayor vetoed the decision.

Since then it has been wrapped in a giant condom, covered in banners and served as the backdrop for every celebration in the city. Its south face bears a poem by Baldomero Fernández Moreno, who, so the story goes, wrote it on a napkin.

3What to look for

• The four windows near the tip.
• The inscriptions on each face, including the one about the 1812 flag.
• Avenida 9 de Julio, one of the widest avenues in the world.