AfterLife – Page 80 – Documenting Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires since 2007

209. ongoing restoration

Published by Robert on 16 June 2008

As reported by La Nación newspaper in March, further restoration works are now in full swing. Even though the number of projects scheduled for 2008 is fewer than those completed last year, it’s a relief to see planned restorations underway.

The exterior for the crypt of Nicolás Rodríguez Peña has been cleaned & a missing truncated column has been returned to its base. Interestingly enough, the inscription on the column is in French. For the moment, I can only make out a portion of the text describing inconsolable parents & their best son. I’ll have to wait until the scaffolding is removed & better light to add the full text to the original post:

Nicolás Rodríguez Peña, Recoleta Cemetery

Another vault currently getting a facelift is Rufina Cambacérès. One afternoon a couple weeks ago I noticed someone removing rust from the wrought-iron doors & decorative gate at the corner. Now scaffolding covers the entire structure. The restoration guy appears to be working from the top down since I could only see his feet:

Rufina Cambacérès, Recoleta Cemetery

While I don’t doubt that the finished restoration will look fantastic, the weathered & aged statue of Rufina has a certain charm to it:

Rufina Cambacérès, Recoleta Cemetery

So much restoration has been done over the past few years that an info panel now sits at the entrance to show visitors before & after photos of major works:

Restoration info panel, Recoleta Cemetery

1 Comment

208. familia rodríguez mir

Published by Robert on 14 June 2008

Familia Rodríguez Mir, Recoleta Cemetery

207. sepulcro del general terrada

Published by Robert on 12 June 2008

Juan Florencio Terrada, Recoleta Cemetery

In October 1806—just months after the first British invasion of Buenos Aires—the victorious Compañía de Granaderos Voluntários de Infantería was split for easier management. Captain Juan Florencio Terrada commanded the newly created, 350 member Compañía de Granaderos Provinciales since he had bravely commanded troops under Liniers. Terrada saw battle again during the second British invasion the following year.

Juan Florencio Terrada, Recoleta Cemetery

Continuing to move up politically as well as within the military, Terrada accepted appointment as the first Governor-Mayor (Gobernador Intendente) of Mendoza province in 1814. A later post as Minister of War gave him the responsibility of assisting José de San Martín prepare troops for the independence of Chile.

Terrada married María Mármol, aunt of José Mármol. José took refuge in the Terrada estate in San Isidro before spending years in exile in Montevideo. Terrada passed away in 1824, & this crypt was declared a national historic monument in 1946.

206. domingo f. risso

Published by Robert on 10 June 2008

Domingo F. Risso, Recoleta Cemetery

205. francisco chas y familia

Published by Robert on 8 June 2008

Francisco Chas, Recoleta Cemetery

The Chas family came to Argentina from a small town in Galicia much earlier than most immigrants. In fact, Francisco Chas y Pombo married the sister of independence hero Manuel Belgrano. Successful with a small supply store in the Plaza de Mayo marketplace, their son—Francisco Chas Belgrano—made the family fortune grow & earned a place in Buenos Aires high society.

The marriage of Francisco Chas Belgrano was fruitful… to say the least. His eight children became further integrated with the well-to-do; one daughter even married Ernesto Bunge, a major architect in Buenos Aires. Perhaps it was these upper class connections that led Chas to invest in real estate. By the time of his death in 1890, Chas owned several houses in Buenos Aires as well as land in several provinces. The family vault was built in Recoleta Cemetery for the death of Francisco.

Two years later, much of the Chas family property was sold by his children. Among the items for sale was the summer house in Belgrano where Chas & his wife passed away. Purchased by the mother of the Anchorena family, she gave the house as a wedding gift to daughter Josefina when she married Enrique Larreta:

Larreta house, Belgrano

The newlyweds hired architect Martín Noel to remodel the house in 1916, converting it into a Neocolonial masterpiece. It now functions as the Museo Municipal de Arte Español Enrique Larreta across the street from La Redonda:

Museo Larreta

However the most permanent reminder of the Chas family in Buenos Aires is a barrio named after them: Parque Chas. In the 1920s, one of the third-generation sons decided to urbanize some of the family’s land holdings. Originally developed as workers’ housing, the original homes were built as British-style chalets. A few still exist today. But it’s the street plan that most people recognize… concentric circles. Designed to make the area more commercially desirable (much like Barrio Parque in Palermo), the confusing layout is now the bane of taxi drivers. Below are comparative aerial photographs from the 1940s & 2000:

Parque Chas, 1940