HISTORY OF THE SAINT MICHAEL ARCHANGEL CHURCH
EDUARDO C. GERDING
For the Central Episcopal Vicariate of the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires, August 19th, 2004.
Published in Spanish by Buenos Aires Antiguo
http://www.buenosairesantiguo.com.ar/notasdebuenosaires/sanmiguelarcangel1.html
Foreword
According to the Works and Cadastre Inspection
Office of the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, the Saint
Michael Archangel Church, located in the San Nicolás neighborhood is simply a
building located in District 14, Section 1, Block 1 and Plot 9 , but for all of
us who have lived in this School District 1 ,called the City financial center ,
she is something more: she constitutes our heart and our soul. 21
Its old and elegant structure that dates back to
1830 was a silent witness to the baptisms and weddings of our ancestors. In the
most difficult moments of our country, our parents knew how to raise their
prayers under the nurturing silence of their walls. Its books, cruelly burned
in 1955, contained valuable data, including records of deaths that occurred in
times prior to the creation of the Civil Registry.
Its old and elegant structure that dates back to
1830 was a silent witness to the baptisms and weddings of our ancestors. In the
most difficult moments of our country, our parents knew how to raise their
prayers under the nurturing silence of their walls. Its books, cruelly burned
in 1955, contained valuable data, including records of deaths that occurred in
times prior to the creation of the Civil Registry.
In June 1885, my maternal grandfather, whose
parents came from Bordeaux (France), was baptized in Saint Michael the
Archangel. In 1950 I was baptized in the same temple by Father Elio S. Tripodi.
and in 1976 my eldest son was baptized as well by Monsignor Klees.
As children, many of us enjoyed playing in the yard
in front of the parish office, unaware that the vine that gazed at us had been
planted by pioneering hands in no less than 1738.
Our mothers In the meantime, used to share a pleasant conversation with Monsignor Miguel de Andrea while they enjoyed the traditional tea and cookies. Later, as teenagers, we were able to face the turbulence of age thanks to the solid and timely advice of Monsignor Klees and Father Julio Argentino Argüello.4
In the midst of that very particular microcenter
demographic profile, I witnessed the inexorable decline of our parish
community, seeing its components grow older and its youngest members getting
married and moving to other neighborhoods. However, feelings for our parish
never waned despite time and distances.
San Miguel Arcángel was declared a Historical Monument by the President of the Nation by Decree No. 2088 of August 21, 1983. Despite this, our beloved church which witnessed so many transcendental historical events for our country like the British Invasions and our birth as an independent Nation has been threatened by circumstances that seem to arise more from indifference than from the abrasive action of the times.13
It is worth quoting here what a famous Buenos Aires morning newspaper said regarding the abandonment of historical buildings, "indifference, contempt and abandonment of the achievements of previous generations are usually signs of cultural blindness and political unconsciousness with grim and irreparable consequences¨ 15
My spirit in conducting this historical research
was to enlighten future generations in the hope of avoiding similar events in
other churches. This is what I communicated to Father Ernesto Salvia of the
Episcopal Vicariate Center, who did not hesitate to give me his support and
encouraged me at all times.
Personally, I retain the hope of being able to see
the restoration of the temple carried out by competent professionals and that,
at the end of my days, I can receive the Archangel Saint Michael and his
heavenly militia knowing that I somehow contributed to healing his wings.
5
Saint Michael Archangel 22
Saint Michael
Archangel
(Existing painting in the Church of San Miguel Arcángel
-Courtesy of Mr. Marcelo Paletta)
Now war arose in heaven, Michael
and his angels
fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought
back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in
heaven. And the great
dragon was thrown down, that ancient
serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver
of the whole world—he was thrown
down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Apocalypsis
12:7-9)
Saint Michael, whose name means Who Like God, is
one of the seven archangels and one of the three mentioned in the Bible. The
others are Gabriel and Raphael. The Holy Church places him at the highest level
of the archangels and names him Prince of the Celestial Spirits and Chief of
the celestial militia.
This archangel presides over the worship of God,
with the prayers represented by the incense that rises above the altar.
Saint Michael defends and protects our souls at the
moment of our death. His job is to receive the chosen ones at the moment when
the soul separates from the body. He is also the guardian of Paradise.
Archangel Saint Michael is represented as a warrior angel, the
conqueror of Lucifer who crushes the devil's head with his heel while
threatening him with his sword. Saint Michael is the guardian of
Christian armies who fight against the enemies of the Church and at
the hour of our death protect us against evil powers.
In the Old Testament, Saint Michael is mentioned in
Daniel 10: 13 and 12: 1 and in Exodus 23: 20. The Jews invoke Saint Michael as
the main defender of their synagogues and protector against their enemies.
At the Feast of Atonement they conclude their
prayers by saying: "Michael, prince of mercy pray for Israel¨
On October 13, 1884, Pope Leo XIII had a horrible
vision of demons, he heard their voices blaspheming and mocking. He also
perceived the horrifying voice of Satan saying that he could destroy the Church
if given enough time and power. Satan asked God to give him 100 years to show
him the influence he would have on the world like never before.
Leo XIII could see that the devil could not carry
out his purposes in the agreed time and suffered a humiliating defeat.
Leo XIII could see the image of Saint Michael expelling Satan
and his legions into the abyss of hell.
After half an hour, the Pope called his Secretary for the Congregation
of Rites and ordered him that all the bishops of the world were to
read a special prayer after celebrating each mass.
Saint Francis de Sales said that the veneration of
Saint Michael is the greatest cure against rebellion and disobedience to the
Commandments of God and against atheism, skepticism and infidelity.
The Archangel Saint Michael appeared in Garabandal
(Spain), in San Miguel del Milagro in Tlaxcala (Mexico), in Naju (Korea) and
twice in France (to Saint Joan of Arc and on the Mount of Saint Michel) and in
Italy (to Santa Maria the Major in Rome and in Gargano). He also appeared in
Fátima (Portugal) and to Antonia de Astónac, to whom he told that he wished to
be honored through the prayer of nine greetings composed of an Our Father and
three Hail Marys corresponding to the nine choirs of angels. The feast of Saint
Michael the Archangel is celebrated on September 29.
The tabardillo outbreak of 1727
In 1727, Buenos Aires, which then had 60 blocks and 10,000
inhabitants, suffered an outbreak of tabardillo (epidemic exanthematous typhus) 26
This disease, caused by a rickettsia (discovered in
1916), is transmitted through dress lice and is usually seen when they are very
poor hygienic and social circumstances (wars, asylums, etc.). The main
contaminant is the feces of infected lice.
We know perfectly well what symptoms the citizens of Buenos Aires must have experienced. Lice can transmit the disease only 5 days after sucking blood from a patient with exanthematous typhus and in the so-called rickettsemia phase, which is during the first 5 days of illness. 45
After an incubation period of about a week, the victims likely experienced a sudden headache, fever, a tabard-like rash, and an altered mental state. Most of deaths caused by typhus usually occur in patients over 60 years of age between the ninth and eighteenth day, showing a rate of mortality of 10 to 60 percent. 25
In our city the scenes were terrifying. A huge
number of corpses were piling up in the streets while other bodies were dragged
tied to the tails of mules.
Burials in Buenos Aires were a real nightmare, they were expensive
and subject to an ecclesiastical fee. Buenos Aires, which had already
suffered various epidemics, used open tombs in an area known as the
Hueco de las Animas (Souls´Hollow) located on the corner of the
current Rivadavia and Defensa streets in front of the Plaza Mayor
(current Plaza de Mayo).
Sometimes, corpses were placed under the Council´s alcove in case
somebody could claim them. 8
(US Typhus Commission) 8
We must keep in mind that at that time citizens
mainly assisted themselves at home. In 1611 there was only one Hospital called
Hospital de San Martín (for Saint Martin of Tours) or King's Hospital used
mainly as a Military Garrison and Prison which functioned during the 18th
century as an asylum. The Hospital del Rey (King´s Hospital), located on the
southeast corner of current Defensa and México streets, had a chapel and an
attached cemetery and occupied most of the block delimited by México, Defense
and Chile streets. Beyond these limits was a stream called Tercero del Sur
(Southern Third) which drained rainwater towards Balcarce street and the Río de
la Plata. 34
We know that by 1734 three British surgeons, who
were very controversial due to their tariffs, and belonged to the Asiento de
Negros Company (Black Settlement Company)were working in Buenos Aires: Robert
Young, Robert de la Fontaine and Robert Barley. 1.2
The Hospital had been entrusted by the King to the care of the religious of the San Juan de Dios order but they later abandoned it.
The Royal Ensign requested several times to the Cabildo that the
Bethlehemites Fathers (also called "barbones" because of their beardstake charge of the Saint Martin Hospital but the Spanish crown wasreluctant fearing the political power the religious orders could acquire.Finally in 1748, Governor Andonaegui handed over the Hospitalto the aforementioned order. Medical care improved substantially when the San Martín Hospital moved to the large vacant building of the Jesuit Residence, located next to the Church of Our Lady of Belén in the Alto de San Pedro neighborhood (currently the church of San Pedro González Telmo) located on Humberto 1st between Balcarce and Defensa streets. The move took place in 1795 (in the Church of San Telmo the marble table used for surgical operations in the old hospital is preserved, and a beautiful grandfather clock donated by Lieutenant Colonel Denis Pack in gratitude for the care provided by the Bethlehemite Fathers to wounded British soldiers during the English Invasions of 1806-1807). 34
Thirty-eight years after the tabardillo outbreak,
Buenos Aires had approximately 20,000 inhabitants. Our first pharmacist was Don
Agustín Pica who presented his credentials on May 5, 1770. Eight years later,
Buenos Aires had 9 doctors, 2 surgeons, 6 bleeders, 5 apothecaries and 48
barbers.
On August 1, 1776, King Carlos III of Spain created
the Viceroyalty of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, its first
Viceroy being General Don Pedro de Cevallos, former governor of Buenos Aires.9
In 1778, there was an outbreak of smallpox in the
country that caused high mortality and lasted until January 1779. On January 21
of that year, Dr Miguel O'Gorman of Ennis, County Clare (Ireland) took charge
of the Protomedicato (Board of Royal Physicians)
The latter
was established in two rooms in the Jesuits College (today on its site the
building of the National College of Buenos Aires stands; on the corner of the
current Bolívar and Moreno streets) “which were repaired with two
hundred pesos allocated for that purpose.”
Three years later, Buenos Aires had 9 pharmacies.
In 1806 the Bethlehemite fathers installed the General Men's Hospital in the
Residence and two years later the first medical school was created.
The Brotherhood of the Holy Charity of Our Lord
Jesus Christ
Don Juan Guillermo González Aragón (1687-1768) was
born in Andalusia (Spain) and worked in Santiago del Estero, probably trading
wood. When he was 28 years old he married Mrs. Lucía Islas y Alva.
His daughter Gregoria was the grandmother of the
lawyer Juan José Castelli, a patriot of the May Revolution. One of his
great-great-grandsons was General Manuel Belgrano.
Lucía died in 1726 and Juan Guillermo entered the
priesthood.
It was precisely the strong images of the tabardillo epidemic that led González Aragón to request authorization on February 22, 1727 to create the Brotherhood of the Holy Charity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Said request was made before the Bishop of Buenos Aires, Fray Pedro de Fajardo of the Trinitarian order and before the Governor Don Bruno Mauricio de Zabala *. This brotherhood would have to resemble those already created in Cádiz and Seville. The definitive foundation of this organization took place on March 3, 1727 and its immediate objective was to take care of the burials of the so-called solemn poor and those executed. Later they would also take care of the sick and orphans.
Bishop Pedro de Fajardo, (1713-1729), gave the
Brotherhood an image of Saint Michael who soon became the patron of the congregation.
The Brotherhood of the Holy Charity of Our Lord Jesus Christ began its tasks in the Parroquia de Naturales San Juan Bautista located on San Juan Bautista and Merlo streets (currently Alsina and Piedras). The second settlement was on the limits of the city, on Tacuarí Street passing the large ditch in the southern area.
Here they built the Hospital of San Miguel and a
chapel where the image of Our Lady of Remedies was enthroned. Hence Tacuarí was
known as Hospital de San Miguel Street.10
On November 13, 1773, the Elder Brother Don Tomás Alonso Fernández announced the possibility of acquiring land nine blocks further north, reaching the current Bartolomé Mitre Street. Said land was acquired for $219 to Don José Javier de Espinosa. The hospital and chapel were sold to Captain Matías Flores who restored the latter for Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, building the first altar to honor the memory.of the pious Pedro González Telmo.
In 1734, Don Juan Guillermo González Aragón from
Cádiz became the chaplain of the Brotherhood and ten years later his son,
Father José González Islas, entered the priesthood.
Image of Our Lady of Remedies, by chaplain Don Juan
Guillermo González Aragón and his son Father José González Islas. (Courtesy of
Mr. Marcelo Paletta)
In 1755, Bishop Cayetano Marcellano y Agramont and
Governor Andonaegui approved the establishment of a School for Orphans. A
conflict then occurred between the Bishop and Alvarez Campana regarding whether
or not this institution should be secular.
This orphanage, called Nuestra Señora de los
Remedios, was directed by Mrs. Teresa Bazan. The institution offered assistance
to orphans, separated women , young women who wanted to marry against their
parents' wishes, adulteresses and judicial wards. Instruction was also provided
in arts and other feminine tasks. This site later functioned as a school for
young ladies and their servants. The girls wore a yellow hat and used to be one
of the most popular institutions in the 18th century.
Until 1766 the school had two administrators: Fray
Francisco Alvarez Campana as Senior Brother and Fray José González Islas as
chaplain.
In 1757, Fray Alvarez Campana presented a project to the Cabildo that would allow the Brotherhood to sell food products in the cave. A third of the sales would go to the Cabildo and the rest would be used to improve the girls' orphanage, to build a hospital for the incurably sick and also for a House for Foundlings.
In 1766, the King of Spain ordered the arrest of
Fray Alvarez Campana on charges of illicit enrichment. Apparently orphanage
funds were used to purchase property in his name. Later in 1771, Viceroy Vértiz
(the great “Viceroy of the Luminarias”) released Fray Alvarez Campana.
Don Juan Guillermo González Aragón died in 1768 at
81 years of age. That year, Governor Francisco de Paula Bucarelli, obeying a
decree from Carlos III, expelled the Jesuits from our lands. At the time of his
death, González Aragón was the chaplain of the Convent of Santa Catalina whose
nuns had been brought from Córdoba in 1745. 40
Father José González Islas, who was 22 years old
when he replaced his father as chaplain, invested all his money to complete the
assigned mission.
He traveled to Spain to get help for his project.
The story goes that González Islas gained the sympathy of the Marquis of Sonora
by offering him a parrot as a gift.
In 1778, the census of the Buenos Aires population
was carried out by the dean councilor Gregorio Ramos Mejía, which produced a
total of 24,205 inhabitants, three times more than in 1720. Likewise, the
baptisms that in 1720 were 457 went from 1778 to 1474. The average birth rate,
in turn, rose in those years from 45 to 55 per 1,000 inhabitants.34,12
Father González Islas later obtained a Royal Decree for the
construction of the chapel of San Miguel (completed on
November 21, 1788, the day of Our Lady of Remedies)
and others to through which the Brotherhood of the Holy Charity
of Our Lord Jesus Christ owned two ranches, one near Carmelo
and another in Remedios (Matanzas) apart from an annual income
of $2000 for eight years.
González Islas also built a room next to the then San Miguel chapel that functioned as a Women's Hospital. Later,in that same place yearsthe Public Assistance of Buenos Aires would be installed on EsmeraldaStreet (currently Roberto Arlt Square) ***.It had three large halls called Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, Santo Tomás and San José.
In 1791, the Brotherhood of the Holy Charity of Our Lord Jesus Christ moved to the Monserrat Church, retaining the administration of the hospital, the orphanage for girls and the House of Foundlings. In those times the processions in which the image of Our Lady of Remedies was carried became very famous.
Father José González Islas died in 1801 and was buried in the church, near the remains of his father. There is a vine planted by Father González Islas near the parish office of the Saint Michael Archangel Church , covering the tombstone of both priests with its shadow. A plaque placed by the Argentine Forestry Society attests to this. 12
In 1822, Bernardino Rivadavia closed the
Brotherhood and confiscated its assets, creating the Benevolent Society. The
Foundling House or Casa Cuna was later called the Pedro de Elizalde Children's
Hospital.
Note:
* Don Bruno Mauricio de Zabala (1682-1736) (nicknamed Silver Hands) was born in Durango, province of Vizcaya and had enlisted in the army when he was 19 years old. Upon losing his arm in the siege of Lérida, the King Philip V rewarded him by naming him Governor and Captain General of the Río de la Plata in 1716. He played a very important role in the founding of Montevideo, displacing the Portuguese commanded by Manuel de Freitas Fonseca in 1724, establishing there two years later the settlement of twenty families from the Canary Islands.
**The Marquis (don José de Gálvez de Macharavialla,
Málaga) was a well-known authority who knew how to play a very relevant role in
addressing the issue of the northwest Mexican territories, the American
territory of the Southwest and Louisiana. 24.27
***In March 2000, 13 human remains were found
buried in Roberto Arlt Square near the Saint Michael Archangel Church . They
were subjected to genetic studies (mtDNA or mitochondrial DNA) and
anthropometric determinations aimed at knowing the age of death, sex, height,
nutritional status and illnesses typical of that time. 18.32
Our Lady of Remedies
The image of Our Lady of Remedies was brought from
Cádiz in 1738 by Don Juan de González y Aragón. It is called a candlestick
image since it does not have a body but clothing. 26
This image was kept in the church since the
Brotherhood was closed. In 1927, it was reinstalled by Monsignor Miguel de
Andrea when the 200 years of the church were celebrated.
In the sacristy of the church of Nuestra Señora de Belén in the San Telmo neighborhood there is an image of Nuestra Señora de los Remedios that belonged to the Bethlehemites Fathers' pharmacy. It was acquired in 1804 by Don Antonio Ortiz de Zarate who reinstalled her in his house located on Maipú street between Bartolomé Mitre and Rivadavia streets.
Later his daughter Trinidad Ortiz de Zárate donated it in 1885 to
Father Luis Duprat of the San Telmo parish.15
The Saint Michael Archangel Church and the Second British Invasion to the city of Buenos Aires (1807)
Renactment-Photograph taken by the author
The invasions occured in two phases.
A detechamenr from the British Army occupied Buenos Aires
for 46 dias before being expelled.
In 1807, a second force stomed and occupied Montevideo
(Uruguay), remaining for several months, and a third force
made a second and unsuccesful attempt to take Buenos Aires-
Renactment-Photograph taken by the author
Second British Invasion to Buenos Aires- July 5,
1807
Victory Square at the time of British disarmament.
[Alfonso Granja, Buenos Aires 1895]
(Courtesy of the Nation´s Naval Museum ,Tigre)
During the Second British Invasion to Buenos Aires,
General Lumley's Brigade had a left wing whose 5th column was commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel Duff. The latter advanced along Piedad Street (currently Bartolomé Mitre)
39.
During the trial of General Whitelocke, Duff
reported: “…the enemy began a terrible rifle fire from the opposite houses. Having
lost about thirty men at this entrance and, realizing that it was impossible to
force the door of the church [Saint Michael the Archangel] with the tools that
had been given to us, I judged it prudent to desist and penetrate more in the
city waiting for a more advantageous position.”
“When we left the entrance to the church [San
Miguel Arcángel] we were punished with continuous fire. Then I entered the city
until I judged that I was near the citadel. Seeing that he had lost so many
people on the street; that the four grenadier officers were wounded, that the
Major, the Adjutant and the Assistant Surgeon had been killed and that there
had been lost among dead and wounded from eighty to a hundred men of my weak
column, I turned to the left and occupied three houses. Possibly he turned onto
the current Maipú street where there were unguarded houses ¨. 33.43
King George IV of Great Britain
(1762-1830)
In 1784 he fell in love with María Fitzherbert and
had to marry in secret, since the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 prohibited
marriage with Catholics. He became a gambler, a drinker and a womanizer. In
1795, he incurred a debt of £650,000 and, in an attempt to persuade Parliament
to repay this debt, he married his cousin Caroline of Brunswick in 1796. When
George III died (who was suffering from bouts of madness), Caroline returned to
England to claim her position as queen but George IV did not even let her enter
his coronation at Westminster Abbey. The Marshall brothers depicted a panorama
of his coronation.
George IV was harshly criticized by Saint Thomas
More for his policy towards Catholics. By 1820 he was obese, alcoholic and
addicted to laudanum. Carolina died suddenly the following year. He suffered,
like his father, outbreaks of madness where he insisted that he had been a
soldier and participated in the Battle of Waterloo. He secluded himself in his
Windsor Castle and died in 1830.
Some historians report that there was a fight right
in front of the atrium of San Miguel Arcángel. Apparently a young British
officer named Michael Hines was injured and assisted by a family neighboring
the temple. According to the story, this officer was the secret son of King
George IV. Sofia Hynes, one of Michael
Hines´daughters married poet Carlos
Guido y Spano (1827-1918). 26
Sofia Hines died approximately 1870 during the Yellow Fever outbreak.17
Parish priests of San Miguel Arcángel Church 4
Appointment date and Name
March 21, 1830 Bernardo José de Ocampo (Great uncle of a relevant figure of the Buenos Aires journalist Manuel Lainez) 23
April 25, 1839 Mariano Somellera
April 23, 1842 abriel Fuentes
December 30, 1865 Feliciano Castrelos
August 25, 1870 Manuel Velarde
May 29, 1893 Juan Deye
July 8, 1906 José A. Orzali
April 24, 1912 Miguel de Andrea
July 1960 Michelangelo de Andrea
April 1, 1968 Carlos Modesto Klees
March 2, 1996 Rubén P. Zamboni
(He celebrated the last Mass) 29
HERE IT LIES
The Owner Priest Mr. Bernardo J. de Ocampo
Native of this city
He served the Church diligently for 42 years.
17 of Military Chaplain in the
Guardia del Monte and this City
And 25 in the Curatos of St Nicholas and St Michael
He died on April 11, 1839
Beloved by all his parishioners
And mourned by his Family and Friends 18
Monsignor Carlos Modesto Klees
(Photo courtesy of Mr. Marcelo Paletta)
He was born on January 12, 1924 in Tafí Viejo (Tucumán).
He was ordained a priest on September 20, 1947 and appointed
parish priest of San Miguel Arcángel from 1968 to 1995.
He was one of the most beloved parish priests.
On September 12, 1983, Klees requested that the San Miguel
Arcángel church be declared a National Historical Monument 12.
He died on September 5, 1995.19
Architectural details of temple 37
St. Michael the Archangel Church c.1950
(Courtesy of Mrs. Susana Ferrari)
Modifications
The original architecture of the parish
headquarters was very simple until important reforms were carried out in
accordance with the neoclassical trend. All these changes were very slow since
the tower was only completed in 1853.
The facade
The façade was very sober, divided into two bodies by a
schematic entablature and with pilasters without a base
or capital.
The access door opened in the axis, with a semicircular
opening and, on the upper floor, above it, there was a niche
with an image.
Finally, there was another more important entablature
and a simple parapet with the figure of the Holy Archangel.
After the reforms made between 1912 and 1918, the façade
acquired eclectic neo-Renaissance characteristics. 20
Pairs of Corinthian free-standing columns frame the access door, on its sides two
mosaics with a gold-colored background with a sky blue superimposed cross, a mosaic
technique that was used to decorate the frieze of the entablature of this body,
with a phrase alluding to Saint Michael and in which the same colors were used.
At its ends, corner columns and similar pilasters, one per side, end it.
In the second body, in the center, a split
segmental pediment supported by corbels, among them also in mosaic, the name of
the temple's dedication.
In the middle of the frontis the base of the image
of Saint Michael that emerges in front of an oculus.
On its sides a parapet links pedestals that rest on
the described columns of the first body that serve as support for the
sculptures of the Doctors of the Church. The architecture of this body is made
up of three quarters of columns and pilasters of the same order with their
respective entablature of mixtiline.
The façade ends in the axis, a composition formed
by an oculus in the center with the figure of God the Father, probably painted
on metal sheet , on its sides decoration of scrolls and two pairs of corbels
supporting another pediment whose full part reiterates the mosaic decoration,
crowning the whole of the bulk effigy of the Savior. On the sides, walls with
pillars on the columns of the lower body.22
The Tower
The tower dates back to 1830 when it was decided to
rebuild the church of San Miguel Arcángel in its entirety. From this tower,
called “La Chismosa”(the tattletale) they watched in 1853 to spot the Entre Ríos
guerrillas 28.
This single tower, located on the left, was divided
into three sections by very simple moldings. Its angles were rounded and in the
second and third bodies it There would be windows in each of the walls. It was
completed by a cornice of outstanding proportions and a bell-shaped spire with
a dome.
The tower was decorated with sets of corner
pilasters, an eclectic order, an entablature that reiterates the mixtilinear
layout, a clock face and a single opening on the side of the semicircular
opening. It preserves the old hexagonal bell-shaped dome decorated with tiles,
and the wrought iron dome and cross. Years later, the majolicas of the tower's
capulín were demolished and cover it with a coating. 30.23
The side doors
The door adheres to the traditional shape of a carved
arch frame. It is made up of two leaves divided approximately two
thirds of their height, with quarters, with a gate.
This is decorated by six superimposed boards: those corresponding
to the plinth have a rectangular perimeter and are placed vertically,
the central ones, with straight flanks, are elongated and have
mixtilinear ends, the upper ones show three sides in a square
and the remaining one, parallel to the segmental arch of the
opening.
The lateral leaves of the shutter are made up of five panels each, in the shape of vertical parallelograms and their smaller endings are countercurved. The countertop consists of eight rectangular boards with countercurves on their small sides and distortions to maintain the parallelism with the lintel. It is carved and polished wood and belongs to the second half of the 18th century.24
The interior of the temple
( Kindly submitted
by Mrs. Susana Ferrari )
The distribution adheres to the traditional plan composed of a narthex, a single central nave, which opens on each side: the niche for the blessing pot, a niche and three shallow chapels between the buttresses; then the transept and presbytery originally with a straight plan that, when the temple was renovated, was transformed into a false apse.
On the walls of the old chapel there are remains of
19th century painting, holes that probably served to wall the posts of the
previous altarpiece, as well as pieces of the original entablature, which
suggest that they responded to the Tuscan order.
The temple is covered by a continuous barrel vault
with lunettes for the openings, these with a segmental arch lintel. When
reforming it, another false one was suspended from it, so it is possible to
assume that it must be reinforced by a perpian arch in each of the sections
into which the nave is divided. 25
Ferrari modified the internal space of the church
by creating a curved apse, covering the vault and dome with expanded metal caps
and plaster.
To delimit the sections, he placed transverse
arches made of the same material and cut out cornices to achieve the
trompe-l'oeil effect. He decorated the free walls above the high plinths and
roof.
In the whole, the meeting of themes taken from the
Canonical Gospels and the Apocrypha is observed. Also surprising is the large
number of atlantes and caryatids presented in an original way.
In the Union of July 16, 1921 it is recorded “…the
large wooden altars have disappeared to make way for four smaller marble ones,
placed in such a way that they allow greater relief for the temple. Instead of
the old bulb saints the artist (...) has made delicate canvases that represent
one the Sacred Heart, another Mary Immaculate, the most noble Santa Filomena
the third and the Death of Saint Joseph the last... considered the most
beautiful temple in the capital. Indeed, the ancient temple of which prominent
figures of the Argentine clergy were rectors (…) evokes in Buenos Aires the
characteristic appearance of the Roman chapels of the 15th century. “
The stained glass
( Kindly submitted by Mrs Susana
Ferrari )
The stained glass windows are from the late 19th
century and are mostly due to
G.P.DAGRANT/GLASS PAINTER-/DE SAN PEDRO DE ROME.BORDEAU
(FRANCE)/ SEPTEMBER or OCTOBER/1879 or 1898.
That of the Assumption of the Virgin is by
R.BERGES.TOULOUSE/1897.
They are dedicated to the following themes: Saint
Philip Neri venerating the crucifix; Saint George killing the dragon and the
Child of Prague in the right sector; the Sacred Heart and San Camilo, in the
transept. On the left: San Carlos Borromeo, Assumption of the Virgin, Holy
Bishop on cross and Saint Joseph. In the transept, the Transfiguration of
Christ. 26
The transverse door, long closed, presents the theme of Saint Michael killing the devil and the gate, from 1898, ornaments and invocations to the Archangel: SANCTE/ MICHAELI/ PROTEGENOS and SANTE MICHAELI/ORA PRO NOBIS
Criticism of the remodeling
The newspaper La Razón of Wednesday, August 21, 1918 expressed itself in these terms: "Until recently, the façade of the church (San Miguel Arcángel) was a modest façade embellished by tradition, if not by its architecture, nor its decoration, as there was nothing monumental, nor exotic, nor picturesque in it. Simple and exuding honesty, we would say about her, and also with the physiognomy of a human being who has lived a long time and has not done harm to anyone.
One fine day, covered by planks and scaffolding, the front of San Miguel is suddenly transformed.Columns appear, as if by magic. Some consider they are of the Corinthian style, but we can´t affirm it. There are rose windows probably from Roman civilizations, without us daring to testify. Byzantine architraves, of which we do not attest. The façade is loaded with caryatids, ornaments and unusual things becoming a Lombrosian forehead, which is how someone classifies the asymmetry, protrusions and bulges of that ornamentation. A few shovelfuls of glitter on the plaster of rough Roman earth, add the “it has been consummated” to the irreverence. What was a temple with a frontispiece that was not very elegant, a very old Buenos Aires, resurfaces in a church of a Byzantinism that is not very explainable but clearly presumptuous, with its crosses of Constantine and its legend “Michelis: defende nos in proelio” in blue enamel on a golden background.
The advocacy has been of no use. Saint Michael has not been able to protect his devotees from the temptation to expose themselves. It has been sinned twice: a sin of vanity and a sin of bad taste. It is certainly not today that this desire for modernization at all costs is pointed out. Modernization begins in our system building and concludes in our general ideas. A truly regrettable lack of love for the things that belong to us by inheritance, leads us to devastate our past, yesterday it was the vicereine's house, today the façade of the San Miguel church¨ 27
Augusto César Ferrari 19
Augusto César
Ferrari (1871-1970)
Photo taken in 1928-Kindly submitted by Mrs. Susana
Ferrari)
Self Portrait
One of the most appreciated painters of Panoramas
in his time in Italy and in our country, as well as a notable architect and
painter of churches. At the age of 86, he knew how to collaborate in the
restoration of the San Miguel Arcángel church, which It was burned down in
1955.
Augusto César Ferrari was born on August 31, 1871 in San Possidonio, province of Modena (Italy). He studied architecture at the University of Genoa and settled in Turin where he studied painting at the Albertine Academy and Ancient and Modern Styles at the Industrial Museum of that city. He exhibited his first portrait in 1901. A few years later he alternated easel paintings with large Panoramas of up to 1500 square meters. Ferrari collaborated with his teacher Giacomo Grosso in 1906 on the Panorama of the Battle of Turin and, in 1909, on the Panorama of the Battle of Maipú (124 m long and 15 m high) that participated in the 1910 centenary in Buenos Aires. He is the author of the Messina Distrutta Panorama that shows the earthquake that devastated that city Sicilian in 1908 and which was inaugurated in the Circular Pavilion of Valentino
Note: The Panoramas were works that began to be exhibited in England at the end of the 18th century. They were arranged in cylindrical buildings thirty to forty meters in diameter, equipped with a central platform from which the public contemplated 360º historical episodes, cities, catastrophes, etc. in their surroundings. Various objects were placed between the platform and the fabric that, together with the live lights and music completed the visual story.28
In 1915, Monsignor Gregorio Romero introduced him to the President of the Association of the Divine Face, Angiolina Astengo de Mitre, widow of Emilio Mitre, who was inaugurating a chapel next to the school he had in Centenario Park. Ferrari offered to decorate that chapel, free of charge, with the Bitume graphite technique in black and white. The main motif of that work is Charity through the centuries and in the dome a dramatic interpretation of the impression of the face of Christ on the canvas of the Veronica and next to it the Conversion of Tiberius. That year, Governor Padilla of the Province of Tucumán commissioned him to produce the Panorama of the Battle of Tucumán, from which They keep only partial photographs.
He was also commissioned to produce the Panorama of the Battle of Salta, exhibited in Buenos Aires and inaugurated by the then president Victorino de la Plaza. Between 1918 and in 1921 he worked at the request of Monsignor Miguel de Andrea in the remodeling of the San Miguel Church in its front, interior, floors and furniture and its decoration with 120 paintings. He modified the external architecture and painted large paintings in incaustic and oil. Among the latter: The Wedding at Cana, Saint Philomena,The Last Supper, The Cenacle, Saint Cecilia etc. In total there are 120 paintings that he painted partly in the church and partly on canvas in his home workshop at Araoz 2760 in Buenos Aires. Several altars, the floor design and the interior marble covering are also by Ferrari.
On the right Augusto César Ferrari and on the left
his wife Susana Celia del Pardo (1893-1949), both posing for the painting the
Wedding at Cana that can be seen inside the temple of San Miguel Arcángel. His
wife also knew how to pose for The Slave who is on the left when entering the
church. (Courtesy Mrs. Susana Ferrari)29
Mural ornamentation in San Miguel Arcángel Church 19
1. Wedding of Saint Cecilia 18. The prodigal son
meditating
2. Roman Sibyl 19. Slave
3. Time 20. Slave
4. Jesus freeing the slaves 21. Apostle Matthew
5. Wedding at Cana 22. Prophet Daniel
6. Jesus in the carpentry 23. Prophet Elijah
7. Cardinal virtues 24. Apostle Matthias
8. Saint Michael saves Rome from the plague 25. The
good Samaritan healing a wounded Hebrew (painting missing)
9. Institution and Apotheosis of the Eucharist 26.
Disappeared
10. Holy Communion 27. Missing
11.Vices-Youth and old age 28. Possessed pigs
12. Ditto jumping into the sea.
13. Idem 29. Angel writing
14. Idem 30. Zechariah
15. Magdalene at the feet of Christ 31. Jesus
washing the feet of a16. Apostle slave
17. Slave 32. Herodias
33. Saint John the Baptist beheaded
34. Adoration of the Three Wise Men (destroyed) 30
La Prensa of May 31, 1918 in Notas de Arte commented that the most notable paintings are those in the background, which represents Saint Cecilia, surrounded by her ladies, singing psalms; the one in the center, painting of large proportions, which reproduces the wedding of Cana, where the environment appears transformed into a medium of luxury and opulence, with the idea of better expressing the magnificence of the miracle. Those that represent are also very beautiful. Christ, entering the catacombs to free the slaves, and the Divine Master himself dignifying the work of man.
In 1921 Ferrari made numerous portraits including that of General Ruiz, Mrs. de Lainez, etc. Between 1922 and 1926 he was in Europe with his family dedicating himself to the study of the figure and the nude. In 1927 he made a mural in the dining room of the Nueva Pompeya convent. In 1928 he presented an exhibition at the Witcomb gallery with 34 paintings .That year they commissioned a Panorama of the Bahía Blanca Foundation on the occasion of the centenary of that city. In the 1930s-1940s he painted frescoes and paintings for the churches of Córdoba, especially a series on Saint Francis in the Church of the Sacred Heart of the Capuchin Fathers.
Ferrari took hundreds of photographs of his models that he used to paint his paintings. He always worked in two disciplines, painting and architecture, and in two countries: Italy until 1914 and from 1922 to 1926, and in Argentina from 1914 to 1922 and from 1926 until his death.
Commissioned by Cardinal Agostino Richelmy, who
gave him one of his armchairs that is still in the family, he painted frescoes
in the church of Cambiano, near Turin. He was a well-known portrait painter of
the Italian nobility.
Among his main paintings is Alegresse au Convent, awarded in Paris when he was still a student; At the Edge of the Grave, exhibited in Rome; The Bible purchased by the Circolo degli Artisti of Turin in 1910, Cito Manduca, Uno strappo alla cultura etc. Around 1912 he exhibited his painting in international exhibitions in Paris, Rome, London, Milan, Turin, Vienna and Saint Louis (USA).
Architecture
In 1918 Ferrari designed and directed the construction
of the altar of the Church of Lavallol and in 1927 he built the cloister of
Nueva Pompeya. In 1928, Father Juan de Anzoain, Superior of the Capuchin
Fathers of Córdoba, entrusted him with the project and construction of a large
cathedral that was inaugurated unfinished in 1933.
In 1929 he presented a project for the Bell Ville
Municipal Palace in Córdoba.
The following year the Chapel of the Sisters'
College of Nuestra Señora del Huerto (Our Lady of the Garden) (in Caseros and Belgrano streets) was inaugurated (Córdoba) with a pulpit designed by Ferrari .31
In 1936 the Chapel and School of the Sisters of
Mercy was inaugurated in Córdoba. In 1952 the Congregation of the Adoring
Sisters of Martínez (Province of Buenos Aires) entrusted him with the project
of a school and a chapel.
In 1960 he worked in the architectural supervision
and direction of the work of the Benedictine Abbey in Buenos Aires. From 1962
it is the Mausoleum in memory of Monsignor Miguel de Andrea, whose fees he
donated to the FACE. In 1969 the Church of Río Cuarto (Córdoba), was
inaugurated. Between 1929 and 1966 he participated in various church projects
in Córdoba that did not come to fruition.
In 1999 his works participated in two exhibitions:
a painting in the exhibition Ius sanguinis: Italian presence in Argentine art
and two original plans in the exhibition presented by the Archivos de
Arquitectura Contemporánea Argentina at the Faculty of Architecture of the
University of Buenos Aires.
Monsignor Miguel de
los Santos Andrea 41
Monseñor Miguel de
los Santos Andrea (1877-1960 )
Bishop of Temnos
Miguel de los Santos Andrea was born on July 5,
1877 in Guardia de Navarro to Italian parents, Nicolás de Andrea and Josefa
Parente, and was baptized in the Parish of San Lorenzo Mártir. He entered the
Diocesan Seminary that was on the property on Victoria Street of the late
Archbishop Monsignor Mariano Escalada. On May 26, 1893, the tonsure and minor
orders were conferred on him.
In 1898 he
was appointed subdeacon of the San Francisco Church.
He later attended the Pío Latin American College in
Rome where, at the age of 22 and, under Papal dispensation, (because he was not
old enough) he was appointed priest. At the Gregorian University he obtained
the degrees of Bachelor and Doctor. On December 24, 1899, he watched as Pope
Leo XIII (the architect of Rerum Novarum), whom he admired, opened the Holy
Door.32
On August 10, 1900 he gave his first sermon in Guardia de Navarro
and two years later he gave the same in the Church of the Convent of
the Catalinas.
Monsignor de Andrea's main supporter was the
Archbishop of Buenos Aires Monsignor Mariano Antonio Espinosa who in 1904
appointed him as Private Secretary.
Father Federico Grote, a German Redemptorist who arrived in Argentina in 1884 fleeing the persecution of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in his country, founded the Workers' Circles and it was precisely Monsignor de Andrea who succeeded him. In 1906, Monsignor de Andrea was appointed Deputy Director of the Workers' Circle. On November 7, 1908, Monsignor de Andrea was member of the National League of Argentine Catholics (similar to the Volksverein).
That same year he founded the Federation of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary. With great courage he organized a parade that started from the temple of the Church of La Merced to counter the anarchist demonstration of May 8,1910.
Rococo style consisting of a bulbiform cup divided into five panels.
Concave ceiling turntable with the dove of the radiating Holy Spirit.
On June 2 of that year, Monsignor de Andrea gave his Patriotic Prayer in the Metropolitan Cathedral. He preached in the pulpit of the Cathedral from 1910 to 1919.33
In 1912 de Andrea was appointed Rector of the Parish of San Miguel Arcángel and Director of the Workers' Circle. A year later he served as Honorary Canon. In 1918, he was appointed Prosynodal Judge of the Archbishop.
A year later he was appointed Rector of the
Catholic University and Advisor to the National Board of the Popular Catholic
Union. That same year Benedict XV promoted him to Proto-Apostolic Notary. de Andrea became domestic prelate of Pius X.
In 1920, Monsignor de Andrea was appointed Bishop
of Temnos (currently Menemen in Turkey; main place of the Viceroyalty of
Smyrna). Upon being consecrated Bishop he chose a shield whose upper banner on
the sash was nothing less than the Argentine flag with its golden sun. The
first lower quarter in gold presented a pelican feeding its chicks with blood
from its breast, the second quarter being gules with the scales of justice.
On March 31, 1923, the founding document of the Federation of Catholic Employees' Associations (FACE) was drawn up in the parish hall of San Miguel Arcángel which was originally located in Suipacha 252. The function of FACE (which ended up bringing together 24 unions) was to protect working women by promoting the creation of spiritual ties between its members for mutual esteem and help.
Monsignor de Andrea was presented as the preferred candidate for the Archbishopric in a shortlist raised by the President of the Nation, Marcelo Torcuato de Alvear. In our country, certain sectors did not hesitate to slander him and offered resistance to said designation; the Pope doubted his appointment. This created a difficult situation between our country and the Vatican (Patronato System).
Then, Monsignor de Andrea further increased his international prestige by formally resigning from the Archbishopric on November 8, 1923. However, he was appointed Plenipotentiary Minister of the Argentine Government before the Vatican. On November 30, 1932, the Employee's House was inaugurated at Sarmiento 1272.
He continued with his impressive sermons in San Miguel Arcángel such as the one on February 1, 1951 The problem in the second half of the 20th century. These sermons were published by Editorial Diversión as The Gospel and the Present. 17. Monsignor Miguel de Andrea died on June 23, 1960 at the age of 83.
Ordinance No. 2647 of the Municipality of the city
of Salta names a small square in his honor. In Buenos Aires, the School of
Commerce No. 34 and an institute in Colon are named after him.
The wedding of Vaslav Nijinsky at Saint Michael the
Archangel Church 36
Vaslav Nijinsky (
1890-1950 )
(Photograph taken at the reception of the Majestic Hotel in
Buenos Aires where Nijinsky and his wife spent their
honeymoon -( Courtesy of Mr. Barry Stone).35
Nijinsky was born in kyiv (Russia) and was baptized in 1891 as a Roman Catholic in Warsaw (Polish Russia). His father Thomas was a ballet matre at the Imperial Theater School in Warsaw. Her mother, Eleonora Bereda, was a dancer and her sister Bronislava would become a well-known choreographer His older brother Stanislav suffered from mental retardation.
She made her ballet debut at the age of 5 and at
the age of 7 she entered the Imperial Theater School in Warsaw. Two years later
he was accepted into the Imperial Theater School in Saint Petersburg. In 1907
he made his debut in the Marylinsky Theater. Nijinsky became a constant
companion of Prince Paul Dmietrievitch who in turn introduced him to Serge
Pavlovich Diaghilev in 1908.
The following year he debuted in Paris with
Diaghilev's Russian Ballets. Nijinsky led the role in Le Pavillion d'Armida,
Les Sylphides with Anna Pavlova.
He later partnered with Tamara Karsavina with whom
in 1911 he danced in Le Specter de la Rose. In Paris, Nijinsky also danced with
Isadora Duncan who had a great influence on him both as a dancer and as a
choreographer.
Nijinsky toured South America and on September 10,
1913 he married Romula, Countess of Pulsky-Lubocy Cselfava in the church of St.
Michael the Archangel. Romula, 22 years old, of Austro-Hungarian origin,
entered the temple with the chords of the wedding march of Lohengrin 35.
The marriage, recorded in Folio 446, was performed
by Father Gustavo M. Franceschi.
This infuriated Diaghilev who wasted no time in sending Buenos Aires a dismissal telegram. Later, he traveled to Budapest where he had his daughter Kyra. At the beginning of the First World War he was interned for two years in a prison camp in Austria-Hungary but was released in 1916.
The marriage, recorded in Folio 446, was performed
by Father Gustavo M. Franceschi.
This infuriated Diaghilev who wasted no time in
sending Buenos Aires a dismissal telegram. Later, he traveled to Budapest where
he had his daughter Kyra. At the beginning of the First World War he was
interned for two years in a prison camp in Austria-Hungary but was released in
1916.
Considerable diplomatic efforts were required to
help Diaghilev secure Nijinsky's release. For this, the Pope, the kings of
Spain and Austria and Queen Alexandra interceded.
Nijinsky, his wife and daughter traveled to New
York in April 1916, making another tour of South America the following year. He
stopped dancing in 1919.
In 1932 and 1933 he was admitted for schizophrenia
to an institution in Switzerland.
He died in a London clinic on April 8, 1950 and was
buried in that city until 1953. His remains were later transferred to the
Montmartre Cemetery where he currently rests in peace. 36
The beginning of deterioration 5,6,7
On April 14, 1981 in the City Section, the newspaper La Nación commented the following: “from the vaults of the ceiling, once carefully ornamented, to the floor, the temple provides its faithful with the image of an undeserved decrepitude. Paints overwhelmed by the advance of humidity, whose effects draw unique silhouettes on all the walls, coverings interiors and exteriors that are slowly falling apart, marbles wounded by cracks, and cobwebs of cables hanging between semi-destroyed moldings, make up a gray picture…”
Between 1993 and 1994 the National Commission of
Museums, Monuments and Historical Places, through the National Directorate of
Architecture, had carried out the consolidation and waterproofing of the roofs
and the dome, the cleaning of the front and the side facade with its
corresponding conditioning. Carpentry work was also carried out on the tower at
a cost of $188,655. 38
The temple was closed for repairs since the roof
collapsed in 1999. 20
Demolition of the parish house 7
Part of the facade of the parish house adjacent to
the Church of San Miguel Arcángel.37
The parish house was built in 1860 by Nicolás and
José Canale. It is not part of what has been declared a National Historical
Monument. However, given its importance as an environment is the responsibility
of the National Commission of Museums, Monuments and Historical Places.
In October 2002, with the presence of Joaquín Mariano Sucunza, Vicar General of the Archdiocese, a visit to the temple was scheduled by a work team and the Architect Norma Barbacci, Director of the Program World Monuments Fund of New York (USA). A pre-project was worked on to present the request for inclusion of the temple on the list of said entity.
In January 2003, the corresponding forms were
completed and that same month a letter was sent requesting support to The Getty
Grant Program. 30
At the beginning of 2003, the Vicar General Joaquín Mariano Sucunza received the notice to demolish the parish house from the National Relief Directorate of the Undersecretariat of Logistics and Emergencies of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires (Note No. 321 DGGA and E-2003 of February 21, 2003). 14
According to the aforementioned entity, the property adjacent to SanMiguel Arcángel was in a dilapidated state and at high risk of widespread collapse of the entire complex. It was also stated that it had been intervened on several occasions in the last 20 years. 14
Said demolition was not authorized by the National Commission of Museums, Monuments and Historic Places, the General Directorate of Interpretative Planning of the Government of the City of
Buenos Aires, the Committee of Conservation of the Archdiocesan Commission for Culture, nor the Supervisory Commission for the
Care and Maintenance of Artistic, Cultural and Cultural Property History of the Archdiocese. 30,31
The Urban Heritage Supervision of the General
Planning Directorate gave the order to suspend the demolition. In any case, the
ID arrived at the Vicariate on March 26, one day after pickaxes and motor
graders.They reversed what was planned. 7
After the demolition, only the ground floor of the façade and the side that faces the atrium remained, with its openings walled up with bricks and already covered with sheet metal bases to put up propaganda posters. Inside a wasteland.
At the end of May of that year, upon learning of
the demolition, the World Monuments Funds of New York rejected the request that
had been made. There were no subsequent further contacts with The Getty Grant
Program.38
Budget and scholarships for the restoration of
historical monuments
It is important to keep in mind that the restoration of historic churches such as that of San Miguel Arcángel represents a double benefit because on the one hand it generates employment in public works and on the other hand it promotes the tourist circuit from the same.
Between 1996 and 1999, 85 monuments were added, 22
percent of all those declared in 61 years, and on the contrary, the resources
allocated have been decreasing since 1997. 42
One of the possibilities proposed to address this
problem was a global program with priorities managing a soft loan from an
organization such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The World Monuments Fund of New York (USA) is a private non-profit entity that, precisely, is dedicated to the worldwide preservation of works of art and historic architecture through the work of field, promotions, granting of scholarships, education and training.
Since 1965, it has worked with communities and
partners to prevent the irreplaceable loss of 430 sites across 83 countries
including the Preah Khan temple at Angkor (present-day northwestern Kampuchea,
Cambodia). 46
The Paul Getty Foundation of California (USA) also
offers support in this regard by offering scholarships and advice for the
development of preservation plans. 44
Conclusion
The Church of San Miguel Arcángel has been declared
a National Historical Monument since August 21, 1983. As such, it is fully
covered by the provisions of Article 4 of Law 12,665 of October 8, 1940, which establishes:
Art. 4. - The National Commission of Museums and Monuments and Historical Places will classify and formulate the list of historical monuments in the country, expanding it at appropriate opportunities with the approval of the Executive Branch. Historical properties may not be subjected to repairs or restorations, nor destroyed in whole or in part, transferred, encumbered or disposed of without approval or intervention of the national commission. In the event that the historic properties are owned by provinces, municipalities or public institutions, the national commission will cooperate in the expenses required for their conservation, repair or restoration.39
In the year 2000, through the Permanent Commission of the San Miguel Parish,10,122 signatures were collected,
resulting in 7,036,422 e-mails being sent from various parts of the world to the authorities requesting support for the preservation of the temple and the artistic works contained therein. 10
A very close and interesting example of sensitivity and intelligence
in restoration is the Palacio San Miguel (Saint Michael´s Palace).
On July 23, 1857, the first store was inaugurated on Victoria Street.
It would later be
called San Miguel due to its proximity to the church of San Miguel Arcángel.
This store was located on Piedad and Suipacha
streets. Then it became essential to expand the store on Suipacha in 1880 and
on Calle de la Piedad in 1890. Later, another house was acquired on the current
one in Bartolomé Miter street. In 1899 a new extension was made.
In 1926, Elías Romero Marull entrusted him to the
notable architect José Julián GarcíaNiñez, to whom some of the best Art Nouveau
buildings in Spain are owed.
Buenos Aires, the remodeling of the building. San Miguel Palace has pilasters on the front with a black granite base, a shaft of pink marble from Skyros and carved bronze capitals. It is an original solution even today admired, the double access through the ochava, with its set of stained glass windows. The screens, shelves and display cases inside are made of Italian walnut. The magnificent stained glass windows also stand out, with the image of the archangel Saint Michael.
Like San Miguel Church, this beautiful building
had lain dormant since its closure in 1976. Neglect and the threat of
demolition destined it to ruin.
However, the firm Ianua SA decided to recover it for the city. A team of professionals from the aforementioned firm together with the Architect Luis Diego Pedreira took great care to introduce modifications but respecting the pre-existing structure and materials. The exterior was preserved and all precautions were taken regarding the interior. Let us hope that our beloved Church may have the same luck. Wasting time is a luxury that we cannot afford.
The Church accepts donations in the French Bank
bank account No. 999-20-043804-6. 40
Acknowledgment
Mrs Susana Ferrari
I would like to especially thank Mrs. Susana
Ferrari, daughter of the famous Architect Augusto César Ferrari, and Mr.
Marcelo Paletta Former President of the Restoration Commission of the temple of
San Miguel Arcángel for the kindness they had in providing me with material for
this work.
Glossary
Apse: Vaulted and generally semicircular part that
protrudes from the rear façade of a temple, where the main altar and the
presbytery are located. The apse may have a polygonal plan.
Benditera: Holy water font.
Round lump: It is applied in sculpture to figures
executed in three dimensions and isolated in space so that they can be seen
from any point of view.
Capital: Upper part of the column or pilaster, with
different figures and ornaments according to the architectural style it
corresponds to: Ionic capital.
Caryatid: Figure of a woman that serves to replace
the column in Greek temples. If male is called Atlantean. Any human figure that
in a architecturally body serves as a column or pilaster.
Countertop: adj. Placed on top of something: top
sheet.
Cupulin: Upper body added to the dome.
Spire: 1. m. Top of the towers in a pyramidal
shape, 2. Capital.
Eclectic: 1) Relating to eclecticism, 2) Referring
to what is composed of elements, opinions, styles, etc., of a diverse nature:
an eclectic artistic current.42
Encaustic: Pictorial technique, which had great
development in Greece and Rome during antiquity, consists of painting with
colors dissolved in beeswax and applying them hot. The wax is a stable base for
the color: it does not yellow or oxidize, it does not shrink, it is not very
sensitive to water and resistant to acids.
To apply the colors, in addition to the brush,
cauteries (bronze sheets to spread the color) and spatulas are used. The wax is
heated over braziers or stoves and applied mixed with the color in a fluid and
hot state. This operation requires great skill in handling the material.
In addition to being applied to walls, this
technique is used on objects and tables. This was observed in Egypt, where
sarcophagi have been preserved decorated this way .
Entablature: Superstructure that rests horizontally
on the columns in classic architecture. It is divided into three parts: the
architrave (lower part of the entablature of a building, which rests directly
on the capital of the columns); the frieze (decorative part); and the cornice
(cantilevered element that finishes or crowns the top of a building). Each of
the orders has its appropriate entablature, of which the general height and
subdivisions are regulated by a scale of proportion derived from the diameter
of the column.
Escarzano arch.- It is the one that is formed by a
single arch smaller than the semicircle.
Perpiano arch or transverse arch: Arch that
supports a vault, being perpendicular to the nave.
Frontis: Facade or frontispiece of a building or
something else: the frontispiece is neoclassical in inspiration.
Gules: In heraldry: Very bright red color.
Horcón: amer. Vertical wood that, like a column,
supports roof beams or eaves.
Lintel: Upper part of the doors and windows that
carries over the jambs: during Christmas hang mistletoe on the lintel of the
doors because they say it brings good luck.
Mitochondrial DNA: Mitochondrial DNA is used as a
highly reliable marker in molecular anthropology for the study of human
evolution, migratory flows, etc. Utility that extends to forensic science, due
to its value as a marker in the identification of people or the clarification
of kinship relationships.
Narthex: Porch that was built at the entrance to
early Christian and Byzantine basilicas.
Neoclassicism: Literary and artistic current,
dominant in Europe during the 19th century. XVIII, which aspired to restore the
taste and norms of classicism. The neoclassical style would have been
introduced in our country by the Spanish architect Tomás Toribio who settled in
Montevideo starting in 1799. His first work in our city was the Coliseo Estable
de Comedias theater.
Niche: Hole pierced in the mass of a wall, covered
by a quarter-sized cap sphere, where a religious image or an object is
generally placed decorative: the saint seems to smile in his niche
Oculus: Circular vain.
Pilaster: Architectural element attached to the
wall, with a polygonal section, generally rectangular or square, usually with a
support function: the ribs of the dome rest on the pilasters.43
Rickettsia prowazeki: The bacteria that causes
epidemic typhus which causes death as a result of encephalitis (inflammation of
the brain), myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) or pneumonia
(inflammation of the lungs). The vector that transmits this organism to humans
is the louse Pediculus humanus. It was discovered during the First World War by
the Brazilian scientist Enrique da Rocha Lima who worked at the Hamburg
Institute of Tropical Medicine. He named it Rickettsia Prowazekii after his friend Stanislaus von Prowazek (Czech biologist)and American bacteriologist Howard Taylor Ricketts.
Roleo or tuqueo: Action of separating (cutting with
a chainsaw) the stem into tucas (rolas) according to the industrial
requirements and the limitations of the transport equipment
Tabardillo: 1. m.col. sunstroke 2. col. Crazy,
restless and annoying person 3. Epidemic typhus. In Spanish lexicons,
tabardillo is “severe, acute and continuous fever”
According to the distinguished Professor of Medicine, Dr. José Félix Merizalde, who died in 1868, the origin of the word tabardillo in Spanish, he was born from a wide and long so-called tabard, which they put on those they were taking to execution, and which enamelled with purple tips was used in some Provinces of Spain.
The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared 4 times to the
unbelievable San Juan Diego, in Tepeyac, Mexico, in the year 1531, and once to
her uncle Juan Bernardino, whom she healed from the deadly disease of
tabardillo, and to whom she told her name, "The ever Virgin Saint Mary of
Guadalupe."
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