The history of the Legislature of Province of Buenos Aires, that is the ‘bonaerense’ legislature, is a remarkable testimony of the political and institutional course of Argentina, since it was set up in 1820 as Cabinet of Representatives (Junta de Representantes).

Initially, the Legislature had its deliberation building in the historical Manzana de las Luces, a place which is nowadays in the city of Buenos Aires, but it was originally part of the territory of the ‘bonaerense’ province.

In 1838, lawmakers granted the Governor, Juan Manuel de Rosas, extraordinary powers; in those days, the ‘bonaerense’ legislative branch resorted to a unicameral system, made up by members from the agricultural and city sectors who were chosen in elections; however, the whole population was not able to vote.

Since then and until the battle of Caseros (February, 1852) -when Rosas was defeated by Gen. Justo J. Urquiza-, a new Constitution (1854) was passed in the Province of Buenos Aires. Such Constitution established a bicameral system and created The Legislative Assembly, made up by the House of Representatives and the Senate.

From that moment until the nation was unified, the province of Buenos Aires was an autonomous state whose governmental institutions were set up in the city of Buenos Aires, a traditional political and economic core of our country.

When the national unification settled on in 1862, the need to establish a capital city for this new nation, city which would be under Federal government jurisdiction, arose. In those days, the debate dealt with turning the city of Buenos Aires into a federal one, that is, transferring territory belonging to the province of Buenos Aires of the said city to the national government.

In 1880, the Legislature of the Province of Buenos Aires passed such ceding of the city of Buenos Aires to the Argentine Nation.

From its very beginning, among other highly important responsibilities, the Legislative Assembly appointed a Governor, regulated the public education, the organization of navy and army, the creation of state jobs, the setting of courts, and the management of foreign affairs.

Since its creation, the Senate has been a republic school of leaders’ training, many of who subsequently took on full civic responsibilities for the nation and have become part of the growing gallery of national leaders. Bartolomé Mitre, Domingo F. Sarmiento, Dalmacio Vélez Sarsfield, Adolfo Alsina, Carlos Pellegrini, Roque Sáenz Peña, Bernardo de Irigoyen, Leandro N. Alem, are just some examples of distinguished names shaped with a forge in the province Senate.

In its floor, many foundation issues were debated and solved, such as the creation of towns, the enhancement of borders, the development of the railway system, the education act which stated the education to be free and obligatory; these apart from heated debates about the location of the new Capital City of Argentina.

Each milestone in the history of this Province and our Nation reverberated in this classic Legislative Building, in its floor, its boxes, its corridors and aisle, its halls and offices; and its echo soaked through the structure and frame of this architectural master piece to reach those places all throughout this vast and heterogeneous ‘bonaerense’ territory.

And thus, by means of their debates, dissidences, and agreements; their initiative, mark, and diversity in opinions, the present senators go on writing, every day, an important part of a rich institutional history of the Province of Buenos Aires.

This provincial State established the foundation of a new city which would become the venue for its Government and provincial administrative institutions. In May, 1881, being one of the first actions of the Governor Dr. Dardo Rocha, he ordered the formation of a committee in charge of studying and reporting the maps and budgets for the construction of the main public buildings in such a new city. In 1882, the foundation stone of the city of La Plata was placed.