Flores, Buenos Aires: Pope Francis’ Childhood & Beyond

Despite living in Buenos Aires for 15+ years, Flores is a neighborhood I never gave a second thought. It was a classic example of failing to explore your own home.

After Pope Francis’ recent passing, I became very curious about where he had grown up. What made him who he was?

I finally made it to Flores, following the steps of Jorge Bergoglio’s childhood, and discovering the entire neighborhood along the way.

Flores charmed me. I loved my afternoon there and will definitely be back to this middle class residential neighborhood.

If you want to get off the beaten path and discover an authentic corner to Buenos Aires, then you’ll love an afternoon in Flores.

Las Tierras de Flores: A Bit of Barrio History

Like much of Buenos Aires, this expansive barrio was once a stand alone town on the outskirts of the city.

The town’s original name was San José de Flores, chosen in honor of the patron saint chosen to protect the town’s chapel and Juan Diego Flores, the area’s major landowner. When Ramón Francisco Flores inherited this land he worked hard to develop the town, along with his friend Antonio Millán.

In 1806, land owners donated a block of land for the church and other plots for public spaces. Remaining land was divided into 16 lots, auctioned off in 1808.

Affluent families from the city purchased land in Flores. For example, Juan Manuel de Rosas, the 19^th century governor of Buenos Aires Province, and the Marco del Pont Family, offspring of a Spanish governor of Chile both had homes here.

In 1887, the town of Flowers was incorporated into the city of Buenos Aires together with Belgrano. Since then it was been a major social and commercial hub for the western side of the city.

Things to do in Flores, Buenos Aires

Here are the best things to do and see in Flores.

The Pope Circuit

Jorge Bergoglio, known to the world as Pope Francis, was born and raised in Flores.

You can see his childhood homes, primary school, and even the plaza where he played with his siblings and friends.

It’s very easy to see on your own. I followed this route on the city’s tourism website. A few highlights were:

• Varela 268 – The home he was born in
• Escuela No. 8 – “Cnel. Ing. Pedro Antonio Cerviño” – His elementary school
• Membrillar 531 – His childhood home
• Plazoleta Herminia Brumana – Where he is said to have played football with siblings and friends as a kid

That said, if you’re really interested in learning more about his life, I would go on a guided tour like this one.

I enjoyed going on my own because was there to explore the neighborhood as a whole but if I had been going specifically to learn about Pope Francis’ childhood I would have wanted more context than just a quick photo of the plaque outside of his school and home.

A guided tour will give you context and history.

Book your Pope Francis history tour here – note that it includes more than just Flores. You’ll also visit the stunning church he was baptized in in Almagro, the Metropolitan Cathedral downtown and other sites.

Basílica de San José de Flores & Plaza Pueyrredón

This church is the heart of Flores, originally a precarious chapel built in 1806 on land donated by Ramón Francisco Flores.

The church you see today dates to 1883, featuring Corinthian columns and the twelve apostles framing the entrance. The church features eclectic styles, including Greco-Roman features.

Jorge Bergoglio attended this church with his family growing up. It was in confession here at age 17 that he first felt called to serve the church.

Just after you enter on the left you can see the exact confessional and a bit of a monument paying homage to Pope Francis’ history here in this church.

Cross the street to see Flores’ main square Plaza Pueyrredón, the 2nd of 3 plots of land donated for public use (the third was for what was to be the town’s slaughterhouses).

This park is named after Juan Martín de Pueyrredón, a politician and military leader who took part in the fight for independence. Today the park has a regular market and offers the best view of the Basilica across the street.

But over the years it’s served a number of functions like campgrounds for the troops, a rest stop for horse carriages and even executions.

Centro Cultural Marcó del Pont

When the original 16 plots of land were auctioned off to wealthy Buenos Aires families, the Marcó del Pont family was one of the buyers.

Catalan immigrant Don Antonino Marcó del Pont chose this land as his family’s permanent home when fleeing from the 1871 yellow fever epidemic.

This historic Italian style home is the only one of its kind to remain standing in Flores. After 4 years of remodeling, it re-opened in 2000 as a cultural center.

It is located at Artigas 202 just a block from the main square. The home’s rooms and gardens are used for art workshops, tango shows, dance performances and more. Click here to check their Instagram account for upcoming events.

Shop on and around Avenida Avellaneda

Shop ’til you drop for knock off clothes on the many blocks around Avenida Avellaneda.

This is the Once of clothing.

If you ever ask someone about shopping in Buenos Aires and where to get actually cheap clothes, you inevitably hear back “Avellaneda.” I finally went to check it out and it was as loud and overwhelming as I expected it to be.

But yes, you can definitely pick up some cheap clothes. I do think you should prepare just a little before going, though:

• These locations are largely wholesalers so you’ll likely have to meet a minimum purchase of 3-5 items.
• Don’t expect a dressing room.
• Some (a lot) of items are one size fits all, so good luck.
• Not all shops are created equally. The quality at some (largely the shopping galleries) seemed horrendous, others seemed pretty nice. Go with patience and study your stores in advance. There are actual influencers focused on the Avenida Avellaneda niche, like this one.
• The dance music blaring out of every single store on enormous speakers is an assault on the senses.

Bar Notable La Farmacia

La Farmacia at Directorio 2398 is the first Bar Notable in Flores.

The former pharmacy is now a restaurant and cafe, specializing in sandwiches, picadas, and the like. The interior is frozen in time, forgive the cliche, it’s accurate.

The wall behind the bar is still lined with medicine jars and other medicinal paraphernalia fill every nook and cranny.

It feels so very antique that I was surprised to learn that the original pharmacy, Farmacia Santa Elena, only recently closed in 2000. It operated for 90 years.

El Rey de los Botones

El Rey de los Botones represents everything I love about Buenos Aires, where mom and pop shops have always reigned supreme over your mega-chains.

Every barrio has its seamstress, butcher, and vegetable stands. It’s even still common to take your shoes to the cobbler.

This shop, however, is very niche, dedicated only to buttons. Eduardo Alonso has run this shop since 1970. His hobby with buttons began as a kid when he made yo-yo’s out of two buttons and sold them to friends.

He’s so warm and open to talk. If you speak Spanish, go pay the king of buttons a visit!

Buy some unique buttons to take home, you’ll never see anything like this again. I picked up a couple pairs of earrings fashioned out of buttons while he carved my name into a button as a gift.

Museo Barrio de Flores

To learn more about the history of this neighborhood, visit Museo Barrio de Flores at Ramón Falcón 2207.

It has very limited hours, open to the public only on Saturday afternoons from 4-7 pm. During the week they open only for classes, workshops and events for the community.

The entry fee as of June 2025 is the equivalent of a few dollars.

You can read more on their website here and confirm their hours via their WhatsApp (link to chat on their website).

Koreatown

This area of Flores, called Bajo Flores, is where to first groups of immigrants settled.

You can walk this walking route put together by the city to find the best restaurants and main sights in the area. But be careful when walking around this area. It is just a stone’s throw from Villa 1-11-14, which should be avoided at all costs.

A great plan for the night is a Korean BBQ dinner followed by karaoke. But take an Uber or taxi there and back after dark.

There is a newer, second Koreatown also in Flores. This area is safer and a bit more vibrant. If you have the time you can explore both.

Check out this article in the Buenos Aires Herald for more details and information on both Koreatowns.

How to get to Flores

Beyond the obvious answer of “taxi or Uber”, the Subte is your easiest way to get to Flores from downtown Buenos Aires.

Line A runs the length of Avenida Rivadavia. Hop off at Carabobo station to check out El Rey de los Botones. The San Jose de Flores station is in front of Plaza Puerrydon and the Basilica. Either station will work, it is a short walk between the two.

Everywhere mentioned in this guide is walking distance from these Subte stations.

The bus is also always an option. For more information, read my guide on how to conquer public transportation in Buenos Aires.

Is Flores safe?

Flores is safe. It is a lovely residential and commercial neighborhood. I felt just as if I were walking around Belgrano, Caballito, or any other barrio.

The only area of concern is the villa (slums) in Bajo Flores. You can see the location of Villa 1-11-14 on the map here. You will only be near it if you are going to tour the football stadium for San Lorenzo or if you visit Koreatown. All other sites mentioned in this blog post are on the other side of the highway than the villa.

Be very careful and aware in this area. Take an Uber or taxi door to door to avoid trouble, especially at night.

Read Next: Buenos Aires Neighborhood Guides

• A Self Guided Walk of Almagro & Abasto
• Boedo: Historic Bars & Tango Haunts
• Barrio Chino: Buenos Aires’ Chinatown
• Once: A Guide to Balvanera
• Things to do in San Telmo
• The Best Things to do in Buenos Aires