La Casa Rosada

You've heard of the White House, but have you heard of the pink house? This is the name of Argentina's presidential residence: la casa rosada [lah cah-sah row-sah-dah]. This translates literally to "the pink house." Located in Buenos Aires, la casa rosada was finished in 1873. It has hosted many famous visitors including Madonna and Pope John Paul II. For more information on some of the history of the building, see this Wikipedia article where most of the facts just stated were found.

The building is an important icon to Argentines just as the White House is important to Americans. It is the icon of their nation's leader. This has been both positive and negative. Many times la casa rosada represents a president who the people see as corrupt and as someone who turns his or her back on Argentina to gain money. Whether during the presidency of a good or bad leader, la casa rosada is a distinct building that represents the focus of Argentine politics. Here are some pictures of la casa rosada.