Pirámide de Mayo

The pyramid in the centre of the Plaza de Mayo was built in 1811 to mark the first anniversary of Argentina's "May Revolution," after which the square is now named. 

The 19-metre pyramid was reworked by architect Prilidiano Pueyrredón in 1856, but the original structure remains inside it. The figure at the top of the pyramid represents liberty and was was crafted by French sculptor Joseph Dubourdieu, who was also responsible for the bas-relief on the Metropolitan Cathedral’s frontispiece.

Surrounding the pyramid, you’ll notice several white kerchiefs or women’s shawls painted on the ground. These represent the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, the group of mothers and grandmothers who gathered in the square from 1977 onwards to demand information from the military government about their missing children and grandchildren, all of whom ‘disappeared’ during the Dirty War between 1976 and 1983. In 2005, the ashes of the founder of the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, Azucena Villaflor (murdered by the military junta), were buried at the base of the May Pyramid.