Plaza Matriz

The city of Montevideo includes a number of plazas that serve as focal points for community gatherings, concerts, markets and cafes.  These inviting public spaces offer places to sit and take in the energetic activity of the urban environment from an unhurried, relaxed vantage point.

Plaza Matriz, a prime spot for antique hunting and plein air dining located in the heart of Ciudad Vieja, is one of the nicest squares, with tree-lined pathways and an ornate central fountain.  The square is flanked by historic buildings including the Cabildo, the original seat of the Colonial government.   We spent a very hot summer afternoon browsing through the antique dealers' stalls while listening to a string quartet play works by  Handel, Bach and Mozart on the plaza.

My treasure hunt yielded an embroidered evening bag with a porcelain clasp painted with a romantic scene from Fragonard.  The purse is in excellent condition and the tag inside reads "Made in France."  I also bought a photograph from the man who specializes in vintage books, old prints and works on paper.  I imagine the  sitter in this portrait attending a summer concert at Teatro Solis, elegantly dressed in her frilly white gown and carrying a certain floral evening bag.   

Montevideo studio portrait circa 1907

La Corte facade

For lunch we stopped at La Corte, a trendy restaurant housed in the former Club Uruguay established in 1888.  This is where the business crowd chooses to dine, and the place is always packed at midday - inside on all three levels and outside on the plaza, too.  We managed to get a table upstairs in the loft overlooking the main floor with its exposed stone wall and Cutcsa truck decor.   The executive menu is the best deal in town, an all-inclusive entree, dessert and drink selection offered for 198 pesos (just under $10 U.S.).  Choices include pasta, beef or fish dishes served with salad or potatoes, accompanied by a glass of wine or mineral water, followed by coconut tart, ice cream or fruit cocktail for dessert.  The service is fast and courteous, delivered by a well-trained team of attractive young women who know the names of the regular customers and don't hesitate to kiss them on arrival and departure.  The  atmosphere reminds us of Earl's Tin Palace in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  
















The placemat at La Corte shows an artist's rendering of the exterior of the Club Uruguay building, the facade of Iglesia Matriz, (a cathedral dating from 1804) and the edge of the park on the plaza. 

And this is how it looked as we left the restaurant and made our way down Peatonal Sarandi.

Deco Details

The elegant style that originated in Paris and gained momentum following the1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs Industriels et Modernes, migrated to points south of the equator and had a strong influence on architecture in Montevideo. The 20s saw a booming economy in this city, and Uruguay was, at that time, one of the richest countries in South America.  The new style represented all that was modern, sleek, and avant-garde.

The past was not entirely abandoned, as a growing interest in ethnography and archaeology brought elements from Greco-Roman, Egyptian and Mexican Aztec traditions together to enrich Art Deco style.   The opening of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 revealed a wealth of beautiful objects that inspired European designers.   Geometric shapes, stepped forms, repeated hieroglyphic patterns and series of overlapping planes were incorporated into surface decoration.  The triangle, trapezoid, chevron, zig-zag and sunburst motifs appeared in architectural design as well as furniture, textiles, jewellery and graphics. Deco suggested luxury, and original works were often made from expensive materials such as silver, obsidian, ivory, marble, bronze, crystal, jade, turquoise and exotic woods. For a good overview of Deco sources and characteristics, see the Victoria and Albert Museum's virtual tour of a 2003 exhibition.

1920s dancer in marble and bronze, displayed in the window of a local antique shop

Palacio Salvo is considered a prime example of Art Deco/Gothic architecture in Montevideo.  Located adjacent to the Plaza Independencia, this landmark building was designed by Italian architect Mario Palanti, and completed in 1928.  At the time of its inauguration, it was the tallest building in South America.  Originally intended as a grand hotel, Palacio Salvo is currently used for office space and apartments .  

Palacio Salvo in downtown Montevideo

This bas-relief mural covers the front courtyard wall of a house on Boulevard Espana.  The dockyard scene, rendered in a stylized Deco carving, is set off with a stepped frame border.

The lines of this Montevideo house are frequently interrupted, or slip beyond the edges of the main forms,  techniques typical of Art Deco design influenced by Cubist paintings and Constructivist sculpture. The "pencil" suspended over the door adds a surreal element to the facade.

The main entry to this Parque Rodo apartment building is an imposing square doorway decorated with concentric circles of stainless steel.  The effect is target-like, a definite symbol of  machine-age moderne. As Art Deco matured into the late 30s, more man-made materials such as glass, steel, chrome and plastic were incorporated into designs.  

Touring the streets of Montevideo is like walking through an architectural museum.  I'm not sure the local population is even aware of what they have here, as it's common to see the most amazing buildings in a bad state of repair, or abandoned and vandalized.  Just as organizations in North America offer Greyhound Rescue, it would be a worthwhile project to establish a Deco Rescue in Montevideo, aimed at preserving the elegant vintage houses that have heritage value, but desperately need an injection of cash for restoration. 

Sunburst motif on a neglected Deco style facade