Alta Gracia, meaning "High Grace", is a town in the North of the Argentinian Province of Cordoba. In the town of Alta Gracia, we visited a Jesuit Estancia (Estate). This Jesuit Estate is a 17th century ranch-like development which was used by the Jesuits in order to support the University they started in 1610.
The Estate Church
The Estancia was made up of: the church, the residence, the Obraje (the industrial area), the Ranchería (housing structure for black slaves), the Tajamar (the dam), and the mill. We only visited the residence and church, as these are the only remaining structures. The residence has become a museum, and the church is now the parish church of the city.
As we walked into the central courtyard of the residence, I was struck with how old this building really was. Having been built in the early sixteen hundreds, over many years, it was possible to see different materials and methods used during different periods of time. The residence was built using, piedra (stone), brick, and barro (mud) all in various places.
The Front Staircase Inside The Courtyard
Once inside the tour guide told us about the native people that lived in the area at the time during which the estate was created. These people called themselves Comechingones which means "eating stone" or "eating soil". This may have been their name due to the fact that they made their homes in shelters dug out of the ground and cuevas (caves) near arrollos
(streams).
One of the most notable things about these people is their genetic makeup. These people had the same short stature as the other natives of South America, but they had facial hair. It is believed that the Comechingones may have had some contact and genetic exchange with Vikings prior to the arrival of the Jesuits. The Comechingones radically advanced after contact with the Jesuits, and they started utilizing irrigation, they hunted and fished, and domesticated animals.
Walking through the halls of the residence, I found myself looking at what; it seemed to me, would be marvels of the 17th century. Not only for the area, but for the time period, I believe the Jesuits were quite advanced. We saw indoor plumbing, water filtration, and iron working facilities while we were there. The Jesuits also utilized a hydro-powered mill to grind their grains in order to make harina (flour).
The bathroom was only a recreation, but it showed a very modern floor plan. There was a row of stalls, about six of them, doors and all. The toilets were just holes in a wooden bench, but these holes emptied from the second floor into an underground aquifer. It was unheard of at the time to have indoor plumbing, let alone on the second floor.
The kitchen sported a large volcanic rock with an opening at the top, positioned over a large gourd. Water was poured into the opening and it would filter through the porous volcanic rock into the gourd in order to filter it.
In the garden area in the back of the residence, the small building for iron working stood. This was apparently the oldest building at the estate. Iron working was very advanced for the time, and the Jesuits had a particularly nice set up. I was very impressed upon entering the room at the size of the billows; it must have been six feet long. The Jesuit blacksmith produced a lot of goods, from door locks and hinges, to lanterns.
Touring the Jesuit estate, I felt that I was seeing the most advanced of the early 17th century. This trip further convinced me that the Jesuits played a pivotal role in the advancement of South America.
By Max Gaynor '11
