The first Manuel d’Huicque came from France & imported coffee from Brazil. Although several establishments were located in Buenos Aires, perhaps the most famous was Café La Brasileña located along the old Rambla of Mar del Plata. Apparently his son (“h”=hijo) had a fondness for sportscars!
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Prosper Catelin, often referred to by the Spanish version of his name—Próspero—was born in France in 1764. After immigrating to Argentina, his technical skill modernized the city of Buenos Aires. Catelin directed the Department of Engineers/Architects during the presidency of Bernadino Rivadavia in the 1820’s & worked alongside some of the early greats of Argentine architecture, most notably Pedro Benoit.
Some of Catelin’s works survive today, even though they are almost 200 years old. The recently restored Sala de Representantes for the local government sits inside the Manzana de la Luces in downtown Buenos Aires:
Working with Benoit, Catelin designed the façade of the Catedral Metropolitana on Plaza de Mayo. Complete construction of the cathedral would take some 300 years, & the façade & its freize were final touches. Strikingly Neoclassical, it is said to have been inspired by the Palais Bourbon or the Madeleine in Paris… structures that were surely familiar to Benoit & Catelin:
Most relevant for this blog is that Catelin designed the initial layout of Recoleta Cemetery when it opened in 1822. Remember that the cemetery’s early appearance was quite different from its look today, with much more greenery & several dirt paths to stroll through the gated plots:
The dates on the Catelin tomb are difficult to understand: 1838—1903. Prosper lived from 1764 to 1842. His wife likely had similar dates & their only son lived from 1826 to 1870. Not sure what they mean… if a descendant reads this, we’d like to know!
Final image is Photo #347 from the Colección Witcomb: dozens of Buenos Aires photographs taken at the end of the 19th & beginning of the 20th century.
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Born in San Miguel de Tucumán in 1837, young Nicolás had to cope with the death of his father, Marco Avellaneda, around the time of his fourth birthday. For opposing Rosas, Marco’s severed head was placed on a pike in the main square as an example to all. The family immediately moved to Bolivia.
Nicolás eventually returned to Argentina to study law & became a well-known journalist. His political career began in 1859—at the age of 22—after being elected to serve in Congress. During the presidency of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, Avellaneda served as Ministro de Justicia, Culto e Instrucción Pública & helped create free, public education in Argentina.
At the end of Sarmiento’s term, Avellaneda was elected President. His main rival, Bartolomé Mitre, claimed electoral fraud & found military support… but Avellaneda quickly ended the rebellion & even pardoned Mitre in order to ease political tension. Avellaneda got to work quickly, getting approval of an immigration law which attracted millions of Europeans to Argentina & changed the country’s identity forever. He also attempted to balance the budget & appointed Julio Argentino Roca to “conquer” the desert lands of Patagonia.
Avellaneda even tackled one of the biggest issues in Argentine history: the federalization of Buenos Aires. It caused another rebellion lead by Carlos Tejedor, forcing the President to abandon BA & move the national government to Belgrano. But Roca eventually defeated Tejedor & by the end of Avellaneda’s term in 1880, Buenos Aires became once & for all the capital of Argentina.
Avellaneda remained in politics, serving as Senator for his native province & establishing autonomy for all national universities. He & his wife traveled to Europe in 1885, hoping to find a cure for his kidney problems, but Avellaneda passed away on the boat trip back to Argentina at the age of 48. He accomplished a lot during his lifetime, including fathering 12 children!
Like neighbor President Roque Sáenz Peña, the cemetery wall serves as a perfect place to hang dedicatory plaques:
Somewhat hidden at the base of the statue is the Latin phrase: In Dicendo Princeps… roughly translated as “Master of Speech.”
It’s rare to get an unobstructed pane of glass large enough to reflect the entire tomb just opposite. More about Larco in the near future…
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Mega photo post covering two different tombs. It’s almost surprising that Englishman Alfred Gath & Argentine Lorenzo Chaves were not buried in the same mausoleum since together they ran one of the most successful businesses in Argentina.
Gath & Chaves joined forces in 1883 to open up their own men’s wear store. After adding women’s clothes as well home goods, their commercial clout grew enormously. So much so that they built a fantastic main branch on the corner of Perón & Florida in Buenos Aires. With one of the finest interiors in the city, customers could take a break from shopping on the rooftop terrace for a spot of tea. They even added an annex on Avenida de Mayo:
In 1922, the company was acquired by Harrod’s, & branches opened in other cities plus a locale in Santiago de Chile. Unfortunately tough economic times during the late 20th century forced Gath & Chaves to close in 1974. The main branch is now occupied by Banco Meridian, minus the gorgeous interior. It’s gone forever, but the awning & dome remain. The annex also adds a bit of glamour to the beginning of Avenida de Mayo:
Alfred Gath eventually found his way to Recoleta Cemetery in this splendid Neoclassical-Art Deco mausoleum. Urban legend claims that he had a buzzer installed inside his casket… just in case he woke up & found himself trapped. There is zero documentation to support such a strange tale, & apparently Gath’s remains have been transferred to Paris. At least the González y Kordich family can enjoy this beautiful structure covered with allegory. Find representations of Silence & Resurrection:
The tomb for Lorenzo Chaves isn’t nearly as grand, but its location could not be better… one of the first visible after crossing through the entrance gate. He passed away in 1928, & five years later store staff dedicated a plaque to their co-founder on the company’s 50th anniversary. The interior holds a surprise: an ethereal statue of what appears to be Mary holding the baby Jesus, floating on a cloud. Just beneath, a simple engraving states that “his life was: energy, work & generosity.”
