Pirámide de Mayo, National monument in Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Pirámide de Mayo is a white-painted masonry monument in Plaza de Mayo: a wide square base with moulded cornices, a tapering shaft, and a small rounded finial. A carved sunburst with radiating rays sits above the base, and the inscription "25 MAYO 1810" is set into the stone below it. Metal brackets protrude from the shaft.
The monument was built in 1811 to commemorate the first anniversary of the May Revolution, the event that launched Argentina's path toward independence. The original design was later redesigned and modernized under architect Prilidiano Pueyrredon.
The monument serves as a gathering place where social movements and political groups regularly meet to voice their concerns. The Madres de Plaza de Mayo have made this location their symbolic center for demonstrations and remembrance.
Access to the plaza is straightforward and open to visitors at no cost without advance reservations needed. It is advisable to check the local calendar to visit during quieter periods when demonstrations or gatherings are not scheduled.
The 1912 move of 63 metres east was made because a far larger monument was planned to enclose the pyramid; that project never went ahead. The four Carrara marble statues at the pedestal corners, removed that year, were stored and only returned to the monument in 2018.
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