|
La Boca is located in the south of the city and its
history tied to immigration and tango makes it one
of the most picturesque areas. Many Italians who came
to Argentina in search of a better life established
their corrugated iron houses near the Riachuelo.
The
neighborhood still has streets with cobble stones,
such as the Caminito, now converted into a footpath
that recreates the tenements of times of old with
their striking colors and windows hung with laundry.
Artists and craftsmen sell tango and neighborhood-related
paintings and souvenirs there.
Actors dressed as "gallants" sing songs
made famous by Gardel accompanied by a guitar or bandoneón
(a type of accordion), while just a little further
down a dancing couple astounds the passersby with
a milonga. From the promenade that follows the riachuelo
you can see the remains of abandoned ships and the
Nicolás Avellaneda Bridge which Benito Quinquela
Martin immortalized in his paintings.
The studio of the already deceased artist was converted
into the La Boca Museum of Fine Arts where the paintings
of Quinquela Martin and other painters are exhibited.
La Boca is also the birthplace of one of Argentina's
passions: the Boca Juniors soccer club. In the area
surrounding the stadium, which is known as the "Bombonera"
(the candy jar), the team's blue and yellow colors
are omnipresent, as are the murals with themes related
to soccer as well as to neighborhoods. All these paintings
are the works of "Grupo Murosur" on Brandsen
street and Pérez Celis and Macció on
Iberlucea street.
|