On The Jesuit and Gaucho Trail in Cordoba

Rio Carnival is no longer the good-natured, escapist festival that celebrates the spirit of samba.  Over the years Carnival has become more unruly and violent, and this year was the worse.  Carnival has been hijacked by runaway gangs who have attacked and robbed revelers participating in blocos (street parades).  Ahead of the festivities, like many jaded Cariocas, I joined the stampede out of the city.  For the past four years, carnival-free Argentina has been my destination of choice. 

Since the late 70s, when I lived in Bolivia, I have been fascinated by the Jesuit missions of Latin America.  A couple of years ago, I visited the ruined, jungle-overrun Jesuit settlements of northern Argentina (Misiones province, near Iguazu Falls).  In this region the 18^th century Jesuit’s colonial proselytism (reductions) still lends itself to controversy: the local Guarani Indians either relinquished or were compelled to trade their ancestral culture and livelihood for Christian protection against the raids of the Brazilian slave traders.  The Guaranis worked for their safety and learned western skills.  The 150 year-long flourishing socio-economic enterprise came crashing down in 1767, when the Jesuits were expelled from Argentina by the king of Spain.  The Jesuits were too clever and too successful for their own good.

In 1610, the Jesuits also settled in the province of Cordoba with teaching and evangelizing as their main goals.  They founded the first university in Argentina and built a church, a cloistered residence and a library with the backing of the Spanish crown, and a ten-year tax holiday.  When the king withdrew his assistance, the Jesuits were compelled to find alternative income.  To finance their educational organization, they went into the agricultural business as in Misiones, and established five self-contained farms-estancias in the region.  The Jesuits had devised a successful business model which worked wonders until their demise.  After their ousting, some estancias were regrettably given to the Franciscans, a poverty loving order who had no clue on how to manage them.  Lacking the business acumen of the Jesuits, the new owners let the farms deteriorate. 

I visited the Cordoba complex, la Manzana Jesuitica and three of the estancias.  Since 2000, they are listed together on the UNESCO World Heritage list. 

But before hitting the cultural heritage trail, I needed a real city-break and immersed herself in the gaucho culture of a ranch.  Dude ranching (estancia tourism) is flourishing in the Cordoba region.  My choice was limited to three Estancias:  Pueblo Estancia La Paz, El Colibri, and Los Potreros.  Built in 1810, la Paz is grand, but it was excluded for having been the summer residence of a former president, Argentino Roca, whose armies massacred thousands of Indians during the campaign of the Desert.  El Colibri lost its appeal by advertising a plasma TV set in each bedroom.  Finally, I liked the off-the beaten-track feeling of Estancia Los Potreros.    

Located north-west of Cordoba in the Sierra Chica, the 6,000 acres estancia with its 500 cows and 140 horses is small by Argentine ranch standards.  An Anglo-Argentinian family has owned the farm for over four generations.  Tourism-derived income complements farming.  Coincidentally, the area was colonized by the Jesuits who built a stone house (1574) with a typical arched gallery.  At the time the activity centered on breeding mules for the transport of silver from Peru.  The name potreros comes from potro, a colt or a foal, and potrero is either the person who takes care of the horses or the paddock where they are kept.  Like a mini Great Wall, kilometers of low stone walls crisscross the rocky hills of the estancia, built by slaves with the help of mules during the Spanish colony.  Mules are no longer bred on the estancia but horses of the Criollos and Paso Peruanos breeds.

Before visiting Los Potreros, I had never heard of these two breeds.  Apparently, their gait is different.  I rode both and not being an equine expert could not tell the difference between them.  For me, their hairstyle made the difference:  a peruano kept its free-flowing mane, and because a criollo doubles as polo pony, it gets a crew cut, a roached mane in the polo parlance.  The estancia can welcome 12 guests but during my stay there were an average of six.  The estancia routine is very British, with afternoon tea and cocktails before dinner at the communal table.  The rides start after breakfast and after teatime and last for several hours.  A very occasional rider, I wanted to play safe, a fall could mean a wheel chair.  Both criollos and peruanos were well-behaved, sure-footed and cool-headed. 

It was the rainy season, and the grass was lush, with wild flowers and small bushes.  Horses are flower lovers, specifically flower munching lovers; during the rides they would compulsively snatch hundreds of blue thistle buds.  These sweet and oily buds are irresistible, although riders were instructed not to let them eat, there was no way to prevent them from snatching the flowers.  After gorging, my horse would gingerly drop noisy and smelly farts.

On the other hand, horses are not bird watchers!  Many birds, including condors were spotted during the rides; not only horses were unimpressed by the mighty condors circling above our head (actually over a dead cow that we did not see), but they did their best to prevent the riders from taking pictures.  Instructed, my horse would stop but refused to stay still, shaking its backside, its head, anything really to show its impatience to get going.  The gauchos like to tell puma stories, but none has seen the elusive cat in his all life.  An inquisitive and unhurried fox with her pup were spotted among the horses near the farm house.  So much for wildlife in the Sierra.

Now back on the Jesuit trail.  After leaving Los Potreros and its horses, I visited the city of Cordoba and took a day trip to visit Jesuit estancias.  The self-contained estancia Santa Catalina is the most beautiful and the best preserved of the three I visited.  The estancia was founded in 1622 for breeding cattle, horses, mules and sheep.  It also had workshops for tools, carpentry and looms.  Slaves lived outside in a now partly ruined compound.  In 1774, the estancia was saved from ruin by Francisco Antonia Dias, then mayor of Cordoba, who purchased it.  His descendants still own the estancia and spend Summer on the grounds.  During my visit, only the impressive white colonial church was opened for tourists. 

The Jesús María estancia lies near the Royal Road to Peru.  It was acquired by the Jesuits around 1618 with the main objective of growing vine to supply sacramental wine to the community.  Previously, wine came from Spain but was routinely stolen by pirates off the coast of Brazil.  The farm work was done by both salaried natives and some 300 African slaves, who did the heavy work, including the construction of the church, housing and workshops.

Colonia Caroya was the first estancia established by the Jesuits and the first they sold before being expelled.  They built a college, a chapel and a retreat for the community; they grew maize, wheat and grapes.  Since its foundation, the estancia has always been engaged in some sort of economic activity.  In 1876, it became a shelter for Italian immigrants before they were settled in the region.  Actually, the white washed buildings look more Italianate than colonial Jesuit.  Now Colonia Caroya is better known for its National Salami Festival than its Jesuit heritage!

The 16^th century Jesuits were pioneers, but their ground-breaking socio-economic model was too advanced for the period; they and their Indian protégés paid dearly for it.  Now, the Jesuits are back teaching in Argentina.  Coincidentally, Pope Francis, an Argentinian Jesuit, spent two years in “spiritual and political exile” in Cordoba.  For their part, many estancias like Los Potreros are trying a new business model, with tourism piggy-backing on farm activities.  The Jesuits would have certainly approved.