The Basilica de Nuestra Senora Del Pilar

The Basilica de Nuestra Senora Del Pilar was built in a colonial style with a square tower and a dome in 1732. It has a central nave that leads to two chapels on the inside. It is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina, across from the Recoleta Cemetery.

In 1716, Felipe V of Spain issued a royal edict authorizing the construction of the church. The work was sponsored by merchant Juan de Narbona on the condition that the church is dedicated to the Virgin of Pilar in memory of and tribute to his homeland of Zaragoza, Spain.

The project's original architect is thought to have been Italian Jesuit Andrés Bianchi. The first cloister was completed in 1718, and the second cloister was completed in 1721. The church was finished in 1725, and the San Antonio de Padua bell was installed in the belfry in 1731. On October 12, 1732, the 30-meter tower was completed, and the chapel was dedicated. It is the city's oldest church, still standing in its original Baroque design. On May 30, 1734, the Franciscan Bishop of Asunción de Paraguay consecrated the church.

The Recollect friars were banished and their property was expropriated by Governor Martin Rodrguez and his Minister of Government Bernardino Rivadavia in 1821. For many years, the convent was closed, and the Recoleta Cemetery was built on the site of the monastery's garden. Other monastic dependencies were demolished to make way for the Recoleta Cultural Centre. It became a parish on November 18, 1829, and Pope Pius XI elevated it to the status of a minor basilica in 1936.

In 1942, the Basilica de Nuestra Senora Del Pilar was designated as a National Historic Monument. The church's restoration project began in 1994, with the goal of restoring the white hue on its façade as well as enhancing each altar.

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina