Art + Architecture – Page 8

Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Miguel Bencich

Born in Trieste, Italy in 1888, Miguel Bencich already had experience in the construction business by the time he immigrated to Argentina in 1909. His brother, Massimiliano, arrived Buenos Aires the following year. Together they began the well-known construction company, Bencich Hermanos, in 1915.

Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Miguel Bencich

The sheer amount of real estate developed by these brothers is staggering. One building even bears Miguel’s name… its large domes easily stand out along Diagonal Norte in downtown Buenos Aires:

Buenos Aires, Diagonal Norte, Edificio Miguel Bencich

Since the majority of tombs in Recoleta Cemetery are for families & not individuals, it seems odd that both Bencich brothers are not buried together. Miguel passed away first in 1965, then Massimiliano followed in 1972. Latin phrasing plus the company initials on Massimiliano’s tomb implies they would remain together for eternity. How Miguel became separated from his brother is a mystery:

Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Miguel Bencich

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Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Atilio Massone

A massive vault with Art Deco reliefs full of emotion & allegory. Circle the entire structure to find representations of all stages of life: birth, adulthood & old age.

Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Atilio Massone

Atilio Massone (father) arrived from Genoa in 1889, doing much to assist fellow Italian immigrants in his neighborhood of La Boca. He later started a successful pharmaceutical company taken over by his sons, Arnaldo & Atilio (junior). They founded the Instituto Massone, known for research in isolating biochemical compounds such as insulin & producing antibiotics. The institute was closed by the Perón government in 1950 supposedly for poor hygiene when in reality the Massone brothers refused to pay compulsory “donations” to the Eva Perón Foundation. It reopened in 1968 after Perón’s forced exile.

Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Atilio Massone

This family vault has been recently cleaned & regular readers know that we are big fans of restoration. Not only does it preserve the cemetery for future generations, but it also gives us a look into the past… a glimpse of what tombs were like when first constructed. That said, details fail to stand out like they did prior to restoration. This tomb is good for debate: should tombs be completely restored or should some remain intact, letting the passage of time do its work?

Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Atilio Massone