Description: The wide Avenida de Mayo axis visually and symbolically connects the Palacio del Congreso at the west with the Plaza de Mayo at the east. The distinctive silhouette of the Palacio del Congreso can still be spotted from the Plaza de Mayo amongst the traffic and the trees.
This massive government complex is modeled after the US Capitol in Washington DC. Completed in 1906, the Palacio del Congreso is not quite as majestic as the US Capitol, probably because it is not based atop a "Capitol Hill". However, the neoclassical design of the structure is certainly grandiose enough. An elongated dome with a light green exterior caps its central rotunda.
The granite steps that form the base of the building are said to represent the Andes Mountains. The fancy fountain fronting the building represents the vast Atlantic Ocean. The surrounding Plaza del Congreso is not as revered as the Plaza de Mayo to the east, but it is well populated by locals and pigeons hanging about. One block to the south is the Biblioteca del Congreso, a research facility that is open to legislative members as well as the public.
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