El Obelisco

Constructed in 1936, and reaching over 60 metres in height, the Obelisco in Buenos Aires is one of the more recognisable monuments in the city. Situated on the site of the San Nicolás de Bari church, its position commemorates the fact that the national flag was raised for the first time in Buenos Aires on that spot.

Situated on one of the busiest junctions in the city, where Avenida Corrientes (home to many theatres & cafés) meets the mighty 20-lane Avenida 9 de Julio, hundreds of thousands of porteños pass by it every day. The focus of many angry protests of the last several decades, El Obelisco is now more likely to be used in raising awareness and has been covered with a condom for World Aids Day or converted into a pencil to commemorate the Noche de los Lapices (Night of the Pencils).