National Congress

At the far end of the square stands the Palace of the National Congress, with its great green dome. Avenida de Mayo was laid out to link this building with the Casa Rosada: two branches of power, face to face.

1A competition and a crime

The building came out of an international competition won by Italian architect Vittorio Meano. Work began in 1897. Meano never saw it completed: he was murdered on 1 July 1904, and the Ministry of Public Works took over the project. Meano had also worked on the design of Teatro Colón.

2Opened half-finished

President José Figueroa Alcorta inaugurated the palace on 12 May 1906, though much remained to be done. The bronze quadriga crowning the entrance, by Víctor de Pol, arrived in 1914. The work wasn't declared complete until 1946. The dome rises to about 80 metres.

3The Monument to the Two Congresses

In front of you is the great granite and bronze monument by the Belgian sculptor Jules Lagae and architect Eugenio D'Huicque, unveiled on 9 July 1914. It honours the Assembly of the Year XIII, in 1813, and the Congress of Tucumán, which declared independence in 1816.

In the neighbouring square, Plaza Mariano Moreno, stands one of the casts of Rodin's The Thinker made from the original mould.

4What to look for

• The green dome, about 80 metres high.
• Víctor de Pol's quadriga above the entrance.
• The monument, with the figure of the Republic at the top.