Chapel Narbonne: the oldest house in Uruguay

For: Gerardo Bartolomé (text and photos)
Previous Image
Next Image

info heading

info content

The hotel manager was interested in the story she had. American Era. He said that when he attended high school there was a big debate in class about whether the theory of evolution was true or not. He was on the side of those who do believe. When the hotel chain sent him to Carmelo (Uruguay) soon learned that Darwin had been there a long time ago. Gave me directions to Punta Gorda, where they join Uruguay and Parana rivers to form the Rio de la Plata. "Darwin was there. Find a plaque that remembers. "

The hotel in question is a series of houses scattered in a forest on the banks of the river. We left our stuff in the quiet house that belonged to us and walked to the white sand beach on the coast of the Uruguay River. We took our cameras, and while my wife was taking pictures I went over and Darwin's diary places constataba. One thing caught my attention: English naturalist claimed to have slept in a large house that was about a hundred years old when he passed by the place. Rare, because for the early eighteenth century had hardly Uruguay population and ranches of the time were of adobe.

The English naturalist claimed to have slept in a large house that was about a hundred years old when he passed through Punta Gorda

In the afternoon we went to the truck, but before I went through the lobby and told the manager what the old house where he had slept Darwin. He was intrigued and interested in finding the place. We left and drove to Punta Gorda. We arrived without difficulty. It was a bluff on the river Uruguay balconea from which there is excellent visibility. Front, forested islands of Argentina, whose channels the Paraná River sum to muddy waters of the limpid Uruguay. An offshore buoy marking the mile 0 River Plate. Below us, dense vegetation in which the English had found marks jaguar presence of dangerous, disappeared from the area for over one hundred years.

Locally filmed a short video for the purpose of inclusion in a future work on the "Camino de Darwin" (can see this short fragment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMlZYDGzHJk). A little way down the canyon that was indicated with a sign saying "Rincón de Darwin". I went down and checked, with the description of his daily, that he had found some fossils of extinct Pleistocene megafauna. On mass extinction that Darwin assumed that the cause could have been the first man to South America. Today most scientists support this thesis.

At breakfast the next day appeared to us the hotel manager: "I think know where sleep Darwin"

We returned to the hotel and I realized I no longer had the book Darwin's diary. "Where I left off?”, I said remembering. In the video I had the book in hand ... then, to save the imagesetter, supported him for a second on the roof of the truck and there was ...! I went back to Punta Gorda and, miraculously, I found not far from where he had parked. My wife made me laugh when he said that Darwin had wanted to stay in Punta Gorda because I missed the place after almost 180 years.

At breakfast the next day the manager came to us. "I think know where sleep Darwin". He sat down and told me that there are very near an old farm known as Chapel Narbonne. It declared national heritage, but is almost abandoned. "An elderly couple living a few meters and show those who are interested."

Thither we. On the way we crossed the Arroyo of Vipers that appears in the Journal of naturalistic; the bridge is one of the oldest in operation in Uruguay. We were close. A poster helped us find the entry. When parking the van appeared the lady who willingly agreed to give us a tour of the site.

While generally everything was in a state of neglect, is sensed what had looked like in its glory days. No doubt it was a luxury home

The place was a chapel, an oratory, the warden of slaves and a tower inaccessible by instability of the old staircase. The brick walls were revoked, very wide, which made them resistant to the passage of time. While generally everything was in a state of neglect, is sensed what had looked like in its glory days. No doubt it was a luxury housing standards in the region 300 years back. Most ceramic tiles and floor had been removed many years ago to be saved and protected, but the good lady had doubts that it did. Shingles thigh merit separate discussion. Its name is derived from the way it was, with his own thigh, the bricklayer, in this case slaves of African origin.

The chapel, dedicated to the Virgin of Candelaria, still bore traces of the original paint. On the floor were the family tombstones and, according to Mrs., somewhere there was a tunnel designed to escape into the stream in case of attack from Indians. She told us that almost three centuries ago everything built an Aragonese Juan de Narbonne, who established a lime quarry to supply buildings of Buenos Aires. As happened in that area much of his time, Narbonne decided to build this "luxury" housing.
The place was strategic not only by the presence of a raw material but also calera abundance of wood, as necessary to produce lime; but the main factor which Narbonne chose this place was near the mouth of Arroyo of Vipers served as perfect port to ship their production to Buenos Aires. Narbonne Lime was used extensively for major works, including in the construction of the Church of Pilar de la Recoleta.

Nearly three centuries ago an Aragonese built everything, Juan de Narbonne, who established a lime quarry to supply Buenos Aires. With that lime is built the Church of Pilar de la Recoleta

 

After a very promising start death surprised Narbonne. His son, Surname Camacho, failed to pursue the venture and all failed. When Darwin arrived at the scene the limekiln was exploited by an American who had left the chapel and other buildings. According to the English, an elderly lady who looked after the place he told the story ... How much resemblance to the actual, in? The thing is that, probably, Darwin spent the night in the bedroom that belonged to Juan de Narbonne.

So Montevideo and Cologne had been founded before Narbonne Chapel, in none of these cities houses survive time of its foundation, what makes Chapel Narbonne in the oldest house in Uruguay.

Surely, Darwin spent the night in the bedroom that belonged to Juan de Narbonne

We left very happy the historical find and proceeded to take pictures near the mouth of Arroyo of Vipers, which recently built a picturesque harbor with antique look. It is called Puerto Camacho, the name of the place had since the days of the son of Narbonne. Then we ate at a restaurant that works in an old warehouse called Estancia Narbonne. Everything reminds the old Aragon ...

  • Share

Comments (1)

  • burrows

    |

    the 18 April 2014 pass through the chapel with intent to visit but I got a dog, high to knee high grass and a lot of dirt , a few hours before passing through Limekiln and beauty to be mouse by the place and the love and respect of people q cares !!!! It's a shame q the chapel remains buried among the weeds, thank you very much

    Answer

Write a comment