Argentina: Córdoba (Jesuit Settlements)

Argentina has a rich history of Jesuit settlement, and Córdoba is situated at the center of it all. The region has been the site of Jesuit establishments dating back to the 1600s, some of which are still preserved today. The Jesuits first arrived to Córdoba in the year 1599, and worked to establish churches, schools, and rural production facilities until 1767 when they were expelled from Argentina by King Charles III of Spain. The expulsion was due to the fact that the king believed the Jesuits' projects in Argentina were being done more for individual economic gain than for any other reason. The Jesuits were allowed to go back to Argentina in 1853, but were expelled shortly thereafter, only to be allowed back to Argentina a few years later, and on goes the story. Today the Jesuits have a more stable relationship with the Catholic Church and Argentina in general. Pope Francis himself has Argentine Jesuit origins.

In 2000, five Jesuit estancias in the province of Córdoba were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, helping to preserve the churches and rural production sites which were constructed during colonial times. We recently went to visit two of these estancias. The first one, Santa Catalina, was established in 1622 and was a main site for cattle production in Córdoba. Ever since the first expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767, Santa Catalina has been private property. It no longer serves to financially support the Jesuits, but rather has been turned into one lucky family's summer vacation spot, church and all.

Each estancia includes many of the same components: a church, a central courtyard, residences for priests and clergy, land dedicated to some type of agricultural production, a cemetery, and slaves' quarters. Upon learning that slaves were used by the Jesuits in agricultural production, I was quick to compare the estancias to plantations of old in the southern U.S. Emi was hesitant to make such a comparison, claiming that the slaves who worked for the Jesuits in Argentina were not treated terribly; they simply did not receive pay for the work that they did. 

We were hoping to see more of the enormous property when we went to visit, but it was a Sunday in summertime and the family which now owns the estate was hoping to do some horseback riding. Therefore, they encouraged visitors to leave after sharing with us an ever-so-brief story of how Santa Catalina came to be. Check out the gigantic birds' nests we saw on the property!

The second Jesuit estancia that we saw was in the town of Jesús María. This was the second production center established by the Jesuits, who started its construction in 1618. After learning a bit of its history, I decided that if I were a Jesuit living in Córdoba in the 1600s, I would have chosen to live in Jesús María rather than Santa Catalina. They are only separated by about 20 kilometers, so weather has nothing to do with this decision. The estancia in Jesús María was not as dedicated to cattle production as was Santa Catalina; rather, they turned to grape growing and wine production. No further explanation needed. 

The first Jesuit estancia in Córdoba was established in 1616, just across the way from Jesús María in a city called Caroya. The other two estancias are located in Alta Gracia (est. 1643) and La Candelaria (est. 1683). Having been declared World Heritage Sites, nowadays they mostly attract tourists hoping to learn more about the Jesuits' role in settling Córdoba.