Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral
The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity faces the Plaza de Mayo in the civic heart of Buenos Aires, its temple-like facade of twelve columns and a sculpted pediment giving it the appearance of a Greek temple rather than a traditional church. The present structure was built between 1752 and 1822, with its distinctive Neoclassical front added by 1862.
Inside, a richly decorated Baroque interior unfolds beneath a tiled dome, with gilded altarpieces, Venetian mosaic floors, and rococo ornament. The cathedral's most revered feature is the grand mausoleum of General Jose de San Martin, the liberator of Argentina, Chile, and Peru, guarded by soldiers and lit by an eternal flame.
Seat of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, the cathedral gained worldwide attention as the church where Jorge Mario Bergoglio served as archbishop before his election as Pope Francis in 2013. It remains an active place of worship and a focal point of Argentine national identity, drawing visitors to its temple front, its tomb of the nation's founder, and its ornate interior.
- Location
- -34.6074, -58.3733
- Local time
- 19:35 (America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Fri | 08:00–19:00 |
| Sat–Sun | 09:00–19:30 |
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Martin of Tours Saint
Patron saint of Buenos Aires; has a dedicated altar/chapel in the right nave
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Our Lady of Buen Ayre (Virgin Mary) Saint
Image of the city's namesake Virgin holding a caravel, venerated in the cathedral
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Rose of Lima Saint
First saint of the Americas, depicted/venerated in the cathedral's chapels
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José de San Martín Blessed
National hero whose mausoleum is enshrined in a dedicated cathedral chapel (venerated figure, not canonized)
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Joseph Saint
Among the side-chapel altars dedicated to saints in the cathedral
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Cajetan (Cayetano) Saint
Popular Argentine devotional saint honored among the cathedral's altars
Care & donations
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Buenos Aires
Accepts donations; free entry to the cathedral
Official website →The candle wall
40 candles burning now · 150 places
19:35
Tap an empty holder to light your own candle · €2.00 · hover a flame to see its intention