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Alta Gracia is a city located in the north-centre of the . Its name means "High Grace". It is built upon the
Sierras Chicas, in a region that the
ComechingónComechingón is the common name for a group of people indigenous to the Argentine provinces of Córdoba and San Luis...
Indians used to call
Paravachasca. It has about 43,000 inhabitants .
History
In the 17th century Alta Gracia was as a large
ranchA ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...
(an
estancia) operated by
JesuitsThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. Along with other ranches, including Colonia Caroya,
Jesús MaríaJesús María is a city in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, located 49 km due north from the provincial capital Córdoba, on National Route 9, within the valley of the Sierras Chicas. It has about 27,000 inhabitants as per the ....
, Santa Catalina, La Candelaria y San Ignacio de los Ejercicios, Alta Gracia was founded to economically support the
Collegium Maximum or "Colegio Máximo", one of Argentina's first universities (
Universitas Cortuba Tucumanæ) today: Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, and other educational institutes that are now part of the
Manzana Jesuítica ("Jesuit Block"), an important center in
Córdoba CityCórdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
. The
Jesuit Block and Estancias of CórdobaThe Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba are a former Jesuit reduction built by missionaries in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, named a World Heritage Site in 2000....
were named
World Heritage siteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 2000.
Owners of the
Estancia Alta Gracia:
- Don Juan Nieto, 1588
- Alonso Nieto de Herrera, who named it after "Nuestra Señora de Alta Gracia"
- The Society of Jesus (donated by Alonso Nieto)
- Santiago de Liniers
Jacques de Liniers was a French officer in the Spanish military service, and a viceroy of the Spanish colonies of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. He is more widely known by the Spanish form of his name, Santiago de Liniers...
, 1810, who lived there for about 5 months
- José Manuel Solares, 1868 (last owner, in his will he decides to turn the Estancia to a Village, called "La Merced", giving as a gift to his employees pieces of land to raise the village, with the conditions of keeping the Tajamar and going on with the veneration of the Virgin Nuestra Señora de la Merced) That's why Septemper 24th is the special day in alta Gracia, in honour of that Virgin.
Main sights
Sights include:
- The museum of Santiago de Liniers.
- "El Tajamar", a man-made lake.
- "El Obraje", a workshop were the Jesuits taught many Indians the different crafts.
- The Sierras Hotel, which John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
has visited.
- A house where revolutionary Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
used to live, now Museum.
- Manuel de Falla's Museum.
- Gabriel Dubois Art Museum.
- Railroad outdoor museum.
- Lourdes Virgin's Sanctuary: a replica of the original in the Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
(France).
- Clock Tower: 350º Anniversary of Alta Gracia Monument, now an information office.
People
- Manuel de Falla
Manuel de Falla y Matheu was a Spanish Andalusian composer of classical music. With Isaac Albéniz, Enrique Granados and Joaquín Turina he is one of Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century....
, Spanish musician and composer, lived in Alta Gracia since 1942 till his death
- Ernesto "Che" Guevara, spent 12 yearse in Alta Gracia, from 1932 till 1944, when he moved to Buenos Aires to be a doctor. There is a Museum in the place he lived
- Enrique Larreta, writer
- Belisario Roldán, writer
Sources