Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean

Portal of Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean

Argentina - Puesto colonial y Molino de Torres (Colonial outpost and Torres´s mill)

It is a perfectly preserved archaeological site from colonial times. The property is made up by a complex of buildings in two sectors: the “post” and a few meters away (approx. 19 m.) the “mill” with its canal systems.

The mill was built by slaves belonging to Bishop Salguero. When the site became the property of the Bethlehemite brothers, the slaves who lived there took care of the vegetable garden, some of them operated the mill and also gathered firewood. All these tasks were made for the benefit of the San Roque hospital, where the slaves helped the brothers take care of the sick.

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On the evening of July 13th, 1779, Manuel Salguero, grandson of the celebrated Bishop Salguero, who had donated the mill and the post to the upkeep of the San Roque Hospital of Cordoba (today National Monument), enters the court of the mill and claims for himself the property by inheritance of 14 slaves, from Bethlehemite Friar Joseph Jesus. The friar orders the blacks to take up arms and to withstand the dispossession, although after a brief clash thirteen slaves were reduced, taken prisoners and taken to the city (on the way there the black slave Simon escaped).

This dispute between Manuel Salguero and the Bethlehemite friars gave place to a trial for the property of the slaves whose verdict was favourable to Salguero. The proceedings are in the parochial archive of the Province of La Rioja.

The names of the enslaved who with their daily work sustained the hospital and therefore, the diseased, and who made a stand together with the friar on July 1779 were: Domingo, María, Francisco Negro, Cipriano, Michaela, Matheo, Juancho Largo, Nina, Manuel Carpintero, Benigno, Antonia, Simón, Félix Albañil and Fachin.

Video Historic Archaeology of Cordoba /the Bethlehemite Monks DURATION 26 MINUTES

http://encuentro.gob.ar/programas/serie/8329/3996?temporada=1#top-video

Interesting reading material

http://www.revistamatices.com.ar/molino-de-torres-historia-para-pocos/

http://archivo.lavoz.com.ar/08/09/28/secciones/grancordoba/nota.asp?nota_id=435974

This site is located in the city of Cordoba, area of Villa Warcalde. The property as such has a surface of approx. two hectares and to the east it borders the Suquía River, to the north with San Martin Street, to the South with Los Lebreles and to the west with Molino de Torres Street and the once-rural mansion of Villa Manuela. The urban buses 18 and 19 will take you to the central area of the city of Cordoba, in which the site is located. The journey lasts approx. one hour and fifteen minutes. The fastest route is by car taking the Colon Avenue and afterwards the Ejercito Argentino Avenue, up to Molino de Torres Street until you arrive at the site. The journey takes 17.6 km and the estimated time is 30 minutes. If you decide to walk it takes approx. 3 hours.
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Other data of interest

Argentina

Historical name

Estancia San Mateo

Founding Date

Outpost of the estancia: 1605. Mill : 1761-1765

Address

Calle Molino de Torres Nº 6710, Barrio Villa Warcalde -Córdoba- República Argentina   , PC: 5149 .

Phone numbers

(0351) 4343500

Responsible entity

Asociación Educacionista Argentina de La Salle: Sede administrativa Casa Provincial La Salle, calle Viamonte Nº 1982; CP. 1058, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, República Argentina.

Web link

http://cultura.cba.gov.ar/

Classification

Agro-industrial complex

Category

Others Local monument

Function-Testimony

Multipurpose Site of Rebellion Workplace Settlement

Access level

Restricted

Current Use

Abandoned.

Original use

Post: Post of the San Mateo estancia (1605- 1683)  Mill: One Stone flour mill, built by Bishop Salguero (1761-1765)

Property kind

Private

Declarations

  • Declarado Monumento de “Interés Municipal”
  • asentado Asentado como sitio arqueológico en el Registro Arqueológico de la Provincia de Córdoba 2010-09-06