Civility and national issues in the debate on Revolución de Mayo monument (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Abstract

Since it became Argentina’s capital, the city of Buenos Aires has turned into the target of a series of actions that have transformed its urban space towards national expression. Plaza de Mayo was involved in this process of linking between nationalist narratives and symbolic strategies by the end of nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, when independence centenary was in the horizon. In turn-of-the-century first decade, there was a contest for a Revolución de Mayo monument to be placed in the square, so it could substitute the previous one. From this contest, several propositions emerged. They have clearly shown different conceptions on the nation and its main “heroes” or leading figures and a very specific interpretation of Argentinian History, which goal was to consolidate in collective memory the events related to the Revolución. We will focus here on the analyses made on Revista Técnica about the projects in order to handle the disputes around the city and the comprehension of monuments as civic pedagogy.