Documenting Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires since 2007
Author: Robert
Born in La Rioja, Quiroga received the nickname “Tiger of the Plains” based on his adeptness in battle. It was a skill needed during the troubled times of early independence from Spain when Argentina struggled to reach a consensus on national government.
When Argentina broke away from Spain & earned its independence in 1816, some people wanted to invite a European monarch to establish their own kingdom… sort of an Empire of the Río de la Plata. The idea isn’t far-fetched since Brazil was a separate Portuguese empire at the same time. But those in favor of a monarch didn’t have the majority.
The biggest issue centered on the role of Buenos Aires in the new nation, specifically the money it received from port taxes. Unitarios wanted Buenos Aires to become the capital city & keep all revenue from international trade. Opposing federales wanted a confederation—an alliance among equals—which would commit Buenos Aires to give other provinces access to their income. Definitely a touchy issue.
As the major port of the nation, foreign trade brought lots of money into Buenos Aires & exporters wanted to maintain the status quo. By placing the national capital in the same spot as the economic center, Federalists feared that the rest of Argentina would be neglected. In the end, the struggle over Confederation vs. Republic was settled in favor of Buenos Aires. Unitarian predictions came true as national growth has been skewed toward the capital ever since.
A strong supporter of BsAs, Quiroga thought that Rosas could resolve the conflict & pledged his support. But when Rosas began ruling Argentina like a monarch, Quiroga switched sides. Ignoring warnings of a conspiracy against his life, Quiroga was ambushed & killed in central Argentina. Eventually his remains were transferred to Recoleta Cemetery.
His place in history was guaranteed when future President Domingo Sarmiento wrote a harsh biography of Quiroga… still required reading in the Argentine curriculum. For Sarmiento, Quiroga embodied the stereotype of the gaucho: unable to think off his horse, wild, savage, & the opposite of progress. Not the most accurate of depictions, this image of Quiroga served to promote urban development at a time when Argentina needed guidance:
Quiroga’s story is interesting but so is his tomb. Although weathered over time, the statue of Mary is a beautiful work of art made of Italian artist Antonio Tantardini. Note the delicate lacework details on her shawl. And yes, you’re seeing double. A miniature copy of this statue crowns the dome of another tomb nearby:
Legend claimed that the coffin of Quiroga was buried upright, perhaps so he would be one of the first out during the Second Coming of Christ. Excavations in 2004 confirmed his fate… Quiroga was indeed buried upright, hidden behind a wall underground. He was controversial enough that family & friends were afraid someone might break into the cemetery to deface his remains. Sure, it’s gruesome, but that’s one way to have the last word… when your opponent can’t fight back.
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Born in 1837, Wenceslao Villafañe founded “La Capital” in 1888—a trolley service which became the principal beef distribution network for Buenos Aires. Slaughterhouses moved from Parque Patricios to the barrio of Mataderos in 1901, & back then there was a lot of open land between them & the city center. Trolleys carried sides of beef to Boedo where it eventually reached butcher shops & a hungry public.
Villafañe passed away in 1903, but he had already sold the network in 1895 to Theodore N. Vail… American business mogul & founder of AT&T. Tramway growth under Vail was immense, & he even hired Luis María Drago as a legal consultant. The original hub, named Estación Liniers, eventually housed electric trolleys instead horse-drawn carriages. And the meat distribution plant built next door was named Estación Vail in honor of “La Capital”‘s owner.
Later bought & nationalized in 1949 as part of Perón’s grand economic plan, the end of all trolley service in the 1960s closed “La Capital” forever. Estación Liniers/Vail was purchased by a shipping company & used briefly, but that company went bankrupt in the 1990s.
The station still sits on Virrey Liniers between Estados Unidos & Carlos Calvo… but not for long. A high-rise apartment building will soon be constructed on the lot & leftover space will be converted into a public park. Distinctly industrial & surrounded by lots of suspended cables, this is one more piece of Buenos Aires which will soon be history. Go see it while you can:
Hidden when viewing the entrance gate from the front, a single bell crowns the southern side. Closing time is announced by ringing the bell at 17:50, ten minutes before the gates are locked.
If you don’t notice the constant clang, no need to worry. Guards also patrol the grounds looking for straggling tourists. It’s probably not a great place to spend the evening.
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