Cordoba Walk-about

Perfect day for a tour, somewhat cloudy so not as hot as yesterday, and no rain. Temperature this morning was a nice 72F at 9:00am. By 1:30pm when our tour ended, it was closer to 86F and the humidity kicked up a few notches. Good time to end the tour and retreat to the air conditioned apartment.

Mariana, our tour guide, took us through the major sections of the city while giving a very detailed explanation of the culture, history and current state of each. Way too much to try and remember so I’ll have to resort to searching for the info.

First stop was the church, Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, also known as the Capuchin Church. Lots of interesting things about this church and the Capuchin Order. Capuchins are Franciscans. Inspired by St Francis of Assisi, they strive to serve the poor and preach the Gospel. They live a simple life of prayer, brotherhood, and ministry, actively engaging in the world. The order was first established in 1525 in Italy, and today there are over 11,000 members worldwide, making it one of the largest segments of the Catholic Church.

The dress of the Capuchin is a bark brown robe with a hood, very simple. Fun fact for your next cocktail party: Capuchin monkeys are named after the Capuchin monks because their fur resembles a monk’s robe and hood, and is dark brown. And, believe it or not, Capuchino coffee also got it’s name from the Capuchin monks due to its dark brown color.

Now, the church. It was designed by the architect Augusto Ferrari (not sure if he is related to the car designer) with construction from 1926 to 1934. Augusto did not get to enjoy the christening of his works because he was removed from the job by a snobbish bishop who thought the church was too elaborate. The architecture is described as neo-Gothic associated with the revival of Gothic style architecture in the 19^th century.

There is a biblical description that goes along with each level of the church façade. Starting at the bottom, the colors of the columns at the entrance and side portals are black, white, brown, yellow, red, representing the different colors of mankind. At the bottom of each column is an animal, rats, snakes, etc. depicting the bad or “hell-like” animals. The entrance has the effigies of John the Baptist on the right side, and Moses on the left side.

The next level has 8 Atlas-like sculptures struggling to hold up the spiritual weight of the apostles above them. Above them are the twelve Apostles, six on each side of the entrance.

The next level has four sculptures of women each representing a different virtue, justice, prudence, fortitude, and temperance. In the center of this level is the sculpture of Jesus Christ with arms open to welcome parishioners.

The next level up has four windows, one for each archangel: Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, and Miguel.

Finally, the two towers, these represent the duality of the human body. The tower on the left represents that which decays, while the one on the right represents the soul that ascends to heaven. (It has a spire)

The church is only open at 4pm for service so we did not go inside, although our guide did send us pictures of the interior.

Next stop was the first university in Argentina. Built by the Jesuits in 1613, it is the oldest university in Argentina, and the second largest university compared to the University of Buenos Aires.

In 1610 the Society of Jesus founded the Collegium Maximum in Córdoba, which was attended by students of the order. An institution of the highest intellectual caliber for the time, this was the precursor of the university. While still under the control of the Jesuits, and during the administration of the Bishop of Tucumán, Juan Fernando de Trejo y Sanabria, advanced studies began to be offered at what was now known as the Colegio Maximo de Córdoba. The school did not yet have authority to confer degrees. This milestone would be soon reached; on August 8, 1621 Pope Gregory XV granted this authority by an official document, which arrived in the city in April 1622. With this authorization, and with the approval of the church hierarchy and the provincial head of the Jesuits, Pedro de Oñate, the university began its official existence. This also marks the beginning of the history of higher education in Argentina.

Today the University is known for its curricula to qualify professionals for teaching, research and scientific and technological development.

This was the perfect spot for our guide to stop and share her traditional drink with us. While over-looking the iron Ferris wheel (has its own story), Mariana pulls out her cup, straw, thermos and a bag of clippings. She described the process used to make, “mate” (pronounced, matt tay”) a drink inspired by the indigenous peoples of Argentina. Had to try it.

Should have passed. Collette was first to try this concoction, and said it tasted very much like grass, not the smoking kind, the mowing kind. Then I tried it and concurred, it did taste like grass, bitter grass. Mariana wasn’t offended by our descriptions, but also didn’t offer a second round. I would have much rather tried the choripan from the vendor across the street. Choripan is a chorizo sausage in a bun, sometimes with chimichurri sauce, sometimes avocado.

Our next stop was the Jesuit Square or Manzana Jesuitica. The Jesuit presence in Cordoba dates back to 1599. Having arrived in Argentina only a few years before, they found Cordoba to be an excellent location to establish their “estancias” (farms) based on available resources, including a workforce of slaves provided by the Portuguese.

They established 6 ranches around Cordoba which quickly became an agricultural trade center. The estancias also created many goods needed other than food products, such as lumber and furniture, blacksmith products, and pottery. These estancias helped the Jesuits build the power of their Order in Argentina.

This power, and their dedication to the Pope in Rome, was cause for concern for the Catholic monarchs.

The Jesuits also protected their indigenous workers from the harsh treatment of the Spanish colonizers. This was also seen as an impediment to the Catholics who were trying to establish a monarchist rule in Argentina. As a result, the Jesuits were expelled from Argentina by King Charles III of Spain in 1767. They had just become too powerful and were viewed as a threat.

The Jesuit Square is made up of some of the original buildings established by the Jesuits in 1599. The Cathedral of Cordoba, the National College of Our Lady of Montserrat, some of the original buildings of the National University, and the Old Town Hall, surround Plaza San Martin.

The Cathedral of Cordoba is the oldest colonial building in Argentina that is still functioning. Started in 1582 and finished in 1787, the architecture is a bit mixed with Renaissance, baroque, and Neo-classical finishes.

The University of Cordoba, founded in 1610 as the Collegium Maximum by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) has a cloistered courtyard that served as the walkway to the classrooms.

And another church, the Society of Jesus Church or Inglesia Compania de Jesus. This church was also built during the time of the cathedral construction, 1640 to 1676. The architect was actually a shipbuilder that was hired because the other architects were busy.

His design was a bit different than the others, as you can image. The building is in the shape of a cross with the ceiling being large and rounded. The ceiling reminds you of the keel of a ship with its ribs segmenting it into specific sections. There is a large dome where the nave intersects with the transept, and the walls are very thick to support weight of the ceiling and dome.

Plaza San Martin is the central square and it pays homage to José de San Martín, who led South America’s successful struggle for independence from the Spanish Empire.

He is known for liberating Argentina, as well as Chile along with O’Higgins and Peru with Bolívar. He is the most important Argentine founding father and this square is dedicated to his memory.

So comes the end of our walking tour in Cordoba. Mariana, Collette, and I decided to stop for a coffee and pastry at one of Mariana’s recommended shops before heading back to the apartment. This was a good tour, with more information than I can remember so I apologize for possibly missing a few points.

Tomorrow is a down day for laundry and catching up on writings, but Thursday is our all day wine tasting tour to Colonia Caroya. Should be a fun day.

Hasta que nos encontremos de nuevo!