One of the city's most iconic monuments is the needle-like Obelisco, soaring 67m above the oval Plaza de la República on busy Av 9 de Julio. It was erected in 1936 on the 400th anniversary of the first foundation of Buenos Aires — and since then, porteños (Buenos Aires' residents) have loved and hated the Obelisco equally. Some say it's an eyesore, a foreign body that landed in the town that wanted to become cosmopolitan. Others celebrate the 67.5m monument, which has become an undisputed icon of the city. It's ground zero for celebrations after major soccer victories, when boisterous fans gather at the Obelisco to sing, jump in unison, honk horns and drink beer.
In front of the base of the Obelisco is the Plaza de la República, where you can see the coats of arms of each of Argentina's provinces. The place is usually filled with tourists snapping souvenir photographs. On Cerrito and Diagonal Norte, just in front of the Obelisco, are some stairs for a better view of the monument, with free admission. At the time of research, the city authorities were working on installing an elevator that would allow access to the top of the Obelisco.
