Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament

If you look to your right, you’ll see the Basilica del Santisimo Sacramento peeking over the neighbouring buildings. The Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament, as it’s called in English, was consecrated in 1914. It was built by two French architects at the request of Mercedes Castellanos d’Anchorena, who lived in a palace just down the street. Legend has it that she exclaimed, “If I live in a palace, God deserves one too!”. The basilica before you was built in an eclectic style, inspired by the Romanesque cathedral of Angoulême. It has five towers topped by domes rather than spires like the ones seen in Gothic cathedrals. Step inside and you’ll find a Neo-Gothic interior with stunning ornamentation and beautiful stained-glass windows. It’s truly the kind of palace Mercedes had in mind. Vosges granite, red marble from Verona, white marble from Carrara, onyx and garnet from Morocco, Venetian maiolica, art sculptures, woodwork from Europe – you name it. For those who don’t know, maiolica is a term coined in the Renaissance, used to describe tin-glazed ceramic pottery with colorful designs painted on white backgrounds. The patterns are delicate and give off a metallic sheen. And then there’s the incredible 5,000-pipe organ. No wonder this basilica is Buenos Aires’ most luxurious church and a favorite wedding venue for the city’s upper middle class.