Gateway to hell: Pasaje/ palacio Barolo

This is the inside view of pasaje/ palacio Barolo. It was built by the italian architect Mario Palanti and it was the first tall building (1923) in Buenos Aires until 1935. Palanti conceived of a grand building that would represent Dante’s epic poem The Divine Comedy. It is filled with references of Dante´s work, it´s height of 100 meters represents the 100 cantos of the poem. The building has three sections, each one for a book in the poem (Inferno, Purgatorio, Paraiso). Above the ground floor entrance are nine vaults, corresponding to the nine infernal hierarchies. Barolo, the owner, lived in the upper part of the building, close to heaven and paradise! Here you can find more fotos (not by me :))