Urban walk between Palermo and Recoleta

 
If there is a fascinating way to rediscover Buenos Aires, it is through city-trekking or urban hiking. I propose a low-intensity steady-state (LISS) journey, as active as it is contemplative, starting and finishing at the iconic Plaza Italia.

The route leads us across Coronel Díaz Ave. to venture into Recoleta, advancing through the tranquility of Arenales Street up to Pueyrredón Ave., before making our way back via the majestic Las Heras Ave.

1. Plazoleta Castex: A green respite with medical history

Located right at the intersection of General Las Heras and Coronel Díaz avenues next to Jerónimo Salguero Street, Plazoleta Castex functions as a sort of green "prow" before crossing the avenues. It is situated on the opposite corner of Las Heras Park and just a few blocks from Rivadavia Hospital and the headquarters of the National Academy of Medicine.
Who does it pay tribute to?

It is named after the eminent Argentine clinical physician and researcher Dr. Mariano Rafael Castex (1886–1968), full professor of Clinical Medicine, dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at UBA, and a prominent figure in Argentine medicine during the first half of the 20th century.

His legacy endures through the voices of his contemporaries:

«He represented the ultimate expression of the classic Argentine clinical school: a master of semiology, a rigorous observer at the patient's bedside, and a prominent figure in our academic institutions.» — Bernardo A. Houssay (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)

«His presence in the hospital ward commanded the respect of high rank: distinguished, strict in discipline, faultless in observation, and deeply humane in the face of the patient's suffering.» — Dr. Nicolás Romano (Collaborator and disciple)

«Doctor Mariano Castex belonged to that lineage of physicians who were simultaneously men of vast culture and gentlemen of unalterable correctness, whose word conveyed natural authority.» — Victoria Ocampo (Testimonies and memoirs)

In the institutional memory of Argentine medicine, he is remembered simply as «The master of accurate diagnosis and intellectual elegance.»
 

2. Las Heras Park: Nature, memory, and heritage

Crossing the avenue, we find Las Heras Park, a space that combines living history with outstanding botanical specimens:

•    The wall of the former National Penitentiary: During the restoration works in March 1997, a exposed-brick monolith was preserved with the inscription: «Wall belonging to the foundations of the former penitentiary found during remodeling works». It marks the foundations of the prison that occupied this site until its demolition in the early 1960s.

•    Tribute to June 9, 1956: A sector of the park houses commemorative plaques dedicated to those executed by firing squad following the uprising against the self-proclaimed "Revolución Libertadora" dictatorship.

•    A botanical treasure: Among the trees, a variegated Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens 'Aureovariegata') stands out. This majestic coniferous specimen is distinguished by:

o    Bark: Fibrous, reddish to orange-brown in tone, with deep longitudinal fissures.
o    Foliage: Scale-like leaves on flattened branchlets, with golden and yellow shades interspersed over traditional green.

Circuit Summary

•    Mode: Urban hiking / Urban Trek / LISS urban walk.
•    Start and end point: Plaza Italia.
•    Neighborhoods: Palermo and Recoleta

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Wikiloc Link: https://es.wikiloc.com/rutas-senderismo/walk-through-palermo-and-recoleta-caba-287852825