Che

In Rosario, Argentina, Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara was born on June 14th, 1928 in a flat at 480 Entre Ríos Street, in the city centre. The birthplace is part of a handsome early twentieth-century neo-classical building, with a restrained façade, tall windows and balconies typical of Rosario’s historic urban architecture. It is a private residential property rather than a conventional museum, so visitors should not expect a fully preserved interior or a large exhibition.

From the street, the building is best appreciated as a modest but elegant city-centre landmark connected with one of the twentieth century’s most controversial figures. Travellers can see the exterior, take in the surrounding streets and visit places elsewhere in Rosario associated with Guevara’s memory, including the monument and square bearing his name. A more substantial museum devoted to his childhood and life can be found in Alta Gracia, where the family later lived; Rosario therefore offers the birthplace, while Alta Gracia provides a fuller museum experience.

Guevara trained as a doctor at the University of Buenos Aires, but journeys through Latin America profoundly changed his political outlook. After witnessing poverty and social inequality, he became committed to Marxist revolutionary politics. He joined Fidel Castro’s expedition to Cuba in 1956, became a leading guerrilla commander, and played an important role in the Cuban Revolution, which overthrew Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

After the revolution, Guevara held senior posts in the new Cuban government and also represented Cuba abroad, while writing about revolutionary strategy and socialist society. Dissatisfied with remaining in one country, he tried to support revolutionary movements in the Congo and later in Bolivia. The Bolivian army captured him in October 1967, and he was executed at La Higuera aged thirty-nine. His image subsequently became a global symbol of rebellion.

Birthplace of Ernesto Guevara
Entre Ríos 480
Rosario
Argentina