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SAN ANTONIO DE ARECO
General Information
This
is one of the oldest cities, founded in 1730, and typical of the
Argentine Country side; the streets are pebbled, the pavements narrow,
the houses typical colonial style, and so take visitors back in time to
magnificent images of the past and the traditional culture of the
Pampas.
The
novel “Don Segundo Sombra” written by Ricardo Guiraldes who owned one of
the emblematic estates of the region made the pueblo into a synonym with
Gaucho traditions.
A
stay in one of the typical, centenary, colonial Spanish style country
estates opens the door to enjoying great country days, folkloric music
shows, horse riding, polo matches, taming rodeos, etc. It is 112kms from
the Federal Capital
Brief Historical Outline
Two
hundred and sixty years ago, the property belonging to the landowner
General Ruiz de Arellano was divided for the first time. He donated part
of his land to the Catholic Church to be sold and make money for
building a chapel which was to be known as San Antonio Chapel, to honour
San Antonio de Padua the saint patron of this town.
23
October 1730 the Church by decree created new districts amongst them
Areco with jurisdiction over Cruz and Pesqueria. The San Antonio chapel
was designated the main church for the region and this made the pueblo
grow especially after Ruiz de Arellano gave powers to Chaplain Giles, 17
July 1750 to offer land to those willing to settle here. About twenty
people accepted land and built their houses.
Documents dating from the 17th Century already call the area
as Areco , same as the river and it was under the jurisdiction of Lujan
until, in 1762 a brotherhood settled here on the right hand shore of the
river and it became the Partido de San Antonio de Areco having as a
centre the pueblo and the chapel.
Tourism in San Antonio de Areco
San
Antonio de Padua Church
 This
is the first chapel opened in 1728 and was the first in the pueblo. A
second church was opened 13 June 1792, which is the date on which the
Saint patron is celebrated and a third was finished 9 July 1870. The
church was modified between 1909 and 1923.
The
church was one of the few rural churches to be consecrated, a great
privilege for a temple.
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