Buenos Aires begins restoration of historic Fuente Monumental

The Buenos Aires government has launched a project to restore and reunite the Fuente Monumental, a cast iron sculptural ensemble that has been dismantled and scattered across three different neighborhoods for over a century.

Inaugurated in 1903, the fountain was broken apart shortly after its debut. Its components were dispersed over a nine-kilometer radius: a ring of children was placed at the intersection of Avenida de Mayo and 9 de Julio; a young Neptune and nymphs were moved to the Museo de la Imaginación y el Juego in Puerto Madero; and an elderly Neptune was left in Plaza República de Serbia in Palermo.

Led by the Ministry of Public Space, the restoration project includes the integral repair of all pieces, the reproduction of lost elements, and the relocation of the complete set to Plaza República de Croacia in the heart of Parque Tres de Febrero. The work is expected to take approximately 10 months and will involve using large cranes and specialized transport boxes to move the multi-ton sculptures safely.