Argentina's green-domed Congress building, modeled on the Capitol Building in Washington, DC, was completed in 1906. Guided visits (congreso.gob.ar/palacio.php; free tours 11am, 1pm, 3pm & 5pm Mon-Fri) allow visitors to see the Senate chamber, the Chamber of Deputies and the gorgeous, walnut-paneled Congress library inside this beautiful building that is a National Historic and Artistic Monument. It's also a chance to understand how legislative power in Argentina is exercised through the Congreso Nacional. The hour and a half tour includes visits to the senators' chamber and the Eva Perón Hall which has on display the shroud that covered her dead body. Aspects of the palace's construction are explained, such as the architect's attempt to replicate the opulence of European palaces using oak paneling, stained glass windows and the enormous dome, which can be seen from the outside and is a symbol of the city. At the end of the visit, you exit through the main staircase of the palace, something you can only do by taking this tour. You will be asked for your personal information at the entrance for security reasons.
Note the stone statues on either side of the steps at the front of the palace, facing the square; these were sculpted by the controversial artist Lola Mora and caused a scandal when they were erected in 1907. Conservatives insisted that they be removed; in 2014 President Cristina Kirchner returned replicas of the sculptures to their original location.
Across the way, the Monumento a los Dos Congresos honors the assembly of 1813 and the 1816 Congress in Tucumán, when independence was declared.
