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Month: January 2008

089. sepulcro obligado y familia

Published by Robert on 11 January 2008

Pastor Obligado, Recoleta Cemtery

A small gallery of niches holds the remains of Pastor Obligado, a key player in national politics after gaining independence from Spain. Born in 1818 in Buenos Aires, Obligado studied law & received his degree in 1845. Juan Manuel de Rosas ruled the new nation with an iron fist at that time, & Obligado was a firm supporter due to his upper-class background. But as time passed, he made allies with the anti-Rosas faction but continued to defend the rights of Buenos Aires above that of the nation. Obligado associated with fellow cemetery residents Adolfo Alsina, Valentín Alsina, José Mármol, & Carlos Tejedor. He also made friends with future presidents Bartolomé Mitre & Domingo Sarmiento.

All the above alliances paid off for Obligado in 1853 when Rosas was forced into exile. Obligado became the Governor of Buenos Aires & maintained the province’s separation from the Confederación Argentina. In 1857, he presided of the inauguration of the first train line in the city of Buenos Aires & made major improvements in providing basic utilities such as water & gas.

Remaining active in national events after his term as Governor ended in 1858, he later served in Congress as well as in the military. Obligado died in Córdoba while on vacation in 1870. He forms part of a long list of historical figures that were very important in their day but unfortunately have faded away from public memory.

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087. map development 2

Published by Robert on 9 January 2008

A few months later in November 2003, the hand-drawn map had been replaced with a more professional version. 89 locations (4 more than the first map) were marked to visit:

2003 gobBsAs map, Recoleta Cemetery

By either being lucky or a regular enough visitor, one day I was given a free handout which was a tri-fold reproduction of the map at the entrance gate:

2003 gobBsAs map, Recoleta Cemetery

Initially pleased at having a free guide to the cemetery, the design was remarkably amateur… for example, the map had been scanned at a very low resolution & enlarged. Pixels were glaringly obvious & angles were badly rendered. Note that there are two sets of three photos each on the map. The two sets are exactly the same. Could they not come up with six original photos for the brochure?

Design issues aside, the map turned out to be less than useful. In the pic below, what spot does #31 belong to? On the map it overlaps three squares, but in reality some of those blocks are subdivided. It took a bit of work to use the free handout:

2003 gobBsAs map, Recoleta Cemetery

A brief history was poorly translated on the back of the pamphlet. Read for yourself:

2003 gobBsAs map, Recoleta Cemetery

Don’t get me wrong… I’m not trying to slam the city government’s efforts. The problem is that at the same time they were producing wonderfully designed brochures to promote other areas of development within the city. Cutting-edge design & attention to detail was what I’d come to expect. So for the most-visited tourist site in Buenos Aires, I expected something much better than what was produced.

Only a few months before this map was issued, I began my walking tours in Buenos Aires. One of the walks offered was of the Recoleta neighborhood, & we ended with a quick stroll through the cemetery. I wasn’t sure if the tours would be successful, but I was certain that Recoleta Cemetery could be better promoted.

Read the complete story in the following posts titled “map development”: Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 & Part 7. Good news! The PDF guidebook is now available.

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086. mendes gonçalves-varela martonell

Published by Robert on 8 January 2008

Mendes Gonçalves, Recoleta Cemetery

With most of the production of yerba mate—a traditional, South American bitter tea—originating in Paraguay & Brazil, several foreign companies supplied Argentina’s demand throughout the 20th century. Plaques on the mausoleum are dedicated to the most influential president of the Empresa Mate Laranjeira, native Brazilian Ricardo Mendes Gonçalves:

Mendes Gonçalves, Recoleta Cemetery

Mendes Gonçalves, Recoleta Cemetery

Responsible for the distribution of the Cruz de Malta brand, the main warehouse was located in the neighborhood of Barracas on the edge of San Telmo & La Boca. Although warehouse facilities were later moved outside the city limits, the building still remains & occupies its own city block. It appears to have been purchased & interior renovation is currently underway… lofts or a hotel may be coming soon.

Cruz de Malta, Barracas

Cruz de Malta, Barracas

Cruz de Malta, Barracas

Update (Oct 2009): All the fine iron work has been removed & the restoration project completed. Nothing as fancy as a hotel, the building is now used as office space for HSBC.

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