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AfterLife Posts

546. rodolfo moreno

Published by Robert on 9 July 2019
Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Rodolfo Moreno

Born in 1879 in Buenos Aires to dual immigrant parents —his father from Chile, his mother from Brazil— Rodolfo Moreno received a doctorate in law at the age of 21. Afterwards he taught civil & criminal law classes at universities in both La Plata & Buenos Aires… at the same time. A gift for writing allowed him opportunities direct a local newspaper as well as publish a 7-volume work about criminal law, his specialty.

Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Rodolfo Moreno

Law in Argentina has often been a stepping stone into the political arena, & Moreno soon moved away from university teaching. In 1914, he became a minister in the provincial Buenos Aires government. For most of the 1920s, Moreno served as a representative (diputado) in Congress for the same province. And in the 1930s, he jumped around from position to position, but one of Moreno’s most interesting assignments was ambassador to Japan… in 1939 & 1940 just as World War II erupted. After the war, Moreno would publish a book about his experience there.

Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Rodolfo Moreno

In the midst of electoral fraude scandals in the 1940s, Moreno became governor of Buenos Aires province for a little over a year. He even assigned Roberto Noble (of later Clarín fame) as one of his ministers. Moreno sought to take on Ramón Castillo for his conservative party’s nomination for President of Argentina but never got far. The volatile political climate of the 1940s forced Moreno to resign as governor in 1943, he left in exile to Uruguay the following year, then he returned to Argentina during the Perón era. But Moreno never served in political office again & passed away in Buenos Aires in 1953.

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545. arrigorria

Published by Robert on 12 June 2019
Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Arbigorria

Our best guess as to the fortune of this family is based on references to Arturo R. Arrigorria in city government bulletins as well as annals of the Sociedad Científica Argentina: co-founder of the “La Nacional” glass factory in 1876 along with an associate with the last name of Pini. A visit by the SCA mentions 40-50 workers at their Buenos Aires plant, using two tons of coal to make 2,000 pounds of glassware daily. While they’ve obviously stopped paying maintenance fees & we’re not 100% certain of their identity, the vault is too unique not to mention here.

This pink-hued masterpiece off the tourist circuit offers one clue: a rare plaque by its architect, Carlos H. Besana. With a studio on Calle Tucumán just off Avenida Callao, Besana inherited a successful construction & architecture firm from his father, Pablo Besana. Pablo began his career in Milan & his native Lake Como, arriving in Buenos Aires in 1878. He collaborated with other major architects in the construction of some of the capital’s iconic buildings such as the first Facultad de Medicina on Avenida Córdoba & the national Congress. Around 1916, the firm acquired the name Besana & son.

Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Arbigorria, Carlos H. Besana

Another splash of color decorates a recess in the vault… a painted Pietà image. Such colorful images are rare in Recoleta Cemetery, often only found in stained glass panels:

Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Arbigorria

Latin script at the base of the Pietà is credited to St. Francis de Sales, a bishop from Savoy. Per crucem et derelictionem tuam, libera nos, Jesus translates to “By your cross & passion, deliver us, Jesus” & is often used in prayers:

If anyone has biographical information on the Arrigorria family, let us know & we will include it here. In the meantime, seek out this bit of color inside the cemetery!

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543. diego de alvear

Published by Robert on 8 April 2019
Buenos Aires, Recoleta Cemetery, Diego de Alvear

As a rule, important families placed their mausoleums along the wider walkways of Recoleta Cemetery for maximum impact… but of course exceptions exist to every rule. Perhaps no other space was available at the time of construction, but that didn’t mean this branch of the Alvear family couldn’t build on a grand scale. Just not as many people discover it today.

Diego Estanislao de Alvear came from a long line of Argentina’s founding fathers. The family hailed from Andalucía where his great-great-grandfather founded the famous Alvear winery in Montilla (near Córdoba, photos below). Diego’s grandfather held a high position in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata & defended Spain against the forces of Napoleon in Cádiz, after losing most family & possessions when the frigate Mercedes was sunk by British naval forces. Diego’s father, Carlos María de Alvear, was not on board the Mercedes & went on to help Argentina proclaim independence from Spain. He’s buried at the entrance of the cemetery for all to see.

España, Andalucía, Montilla, Bodegas Alvear
España, Andalucía, Montilla, Bodegas Alvear
España, Andalucía, Montilla, Bodegas Alvear

Diego de Alvear passed away in 1887 after marrying into an even richer family, founding the Club del Progreso & serving in the Senate. The family hired French architect Albert Ballu to design their grand mausoleum in 1889, who would also be responsible for the Argentina pavilion at the World Expo in Paris that same year. So grand & inspiring, the pavilion was deconstructed, shipped to Argentina & rebuilt on Plaza San Martín to become a new home to the Museo de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires. The family certainly knew how to pick the most popular architect for the time.

Even more surprising is the interior sculpture, difficult to appreciate due to the mausoleum’s doors. But take a peek inside. Signed by Jules Roulleau in 1889, four figures of women in mourning surround a bust of Diego de Alvear. Some sources claim them to be sisters, but since he only had three they are likely allegorical representations of sorrow.

How to find this hidden masterpiece? Look for the dome… while on the main walkway between the central Christ statue & Rufina Cambacérès (also on the way to Eva Perón), look up & left to find a large dome & you’re almost there:

More photos of this fantastic & forgotten mausoleum on Alejandro Machado’s blog dedicated to French architects in Argentina.

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