Blue: reflections of Paris in the Pampa Argentina

For: Gerardo Bartolomé (text and photos)
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"She is descended from a Louge" - I told the owner of the room presenting to my wife. “¡Ah! They have to talk to George. The candidate will of involvement ", said referring to her husband Jorge Louge, who had inherited his great-grandfather field.

We decided to take a long weekend in an area important to the history of the Indians of the pampas, because I was researching this topic. The town of Blue had been the seat of the famous tribe of the chief Catriel. Looking passengers received rooms that we had found The Isolina, attracted us for two reasons. The first was the appearance of petit French hotel was the main house of field, and the other was that the name of the owners was the same as Mary Louge, my wife's great-grandmother, of his family who had inherited fields near Blue. Would distant relatives? I sensed an interesting story and that way we.

The town of Azul had been the seat of the famous Catriel chief tribe

And 1860 Argentina was not yet a destination for European immigrants. Most of the vast plains of the pampas was disputed with Indian tribes. But one, the Catriel, Government had agreed to settle on the outskirts of Blue and protect the town from attack by other Indians for the government to hand over hundreds of monthly cattle. Few trust the loyalty of Catriel so not many who dared to make these fertile fields produce. The land was cheap, the risk was high, but the chances were high. Blue was only suitable territory for bold.

We sat down to tea and scones in the elegant front porch of the mansion and soon appeared a man wearing a beret, neckerchief, riding boots and pants typical gaucho pants called. Jorge Louge was a lover of his country and the tradition, but also a man who spoke several languages ​​traveled and took pains to make the stay of guests was perfect. After presenting, My wife had some history of her great-grandmother. "I had a field 16 July my family ended up selling a few 30 years ", explained. He knew about over there Louge. His ancestor, Etienne Louge, had four daughters but none of them was "Mary Louge"My wife. "Surely others came from the village of Etienne Louge", he said, leaving the door open they had a distant relationship.

The situation in the surrounding area had become very difficult. Catriel tribe was back in business; robbed and attacked the fields

At night we shared dinner with the owners of the field and another couple also staying there. After a simple but delicious meal we sat in front of the fireplace to George tell us the story of Etienne Louge. He had come from France in 1854 with 14 years, only and without a weight. Looking for new horizons had no better idea to be set in Blue. Ramos worked at General, as he was known back then to businesses selling everything. But the situation around had become very difficult. Catriel tribe was back in business; robbed and attacked the fields. Etienne kidnapped when he had stayed merchandise! But the Frenchman was able to win the chief. The Indian interest in French meat and hides. They became friends! Etienne bought a field at a bargain price and stay became the only non-ravaged Catriel. To Etienne was said that cattle hides sold stolen by men Catriel. I figured that the French should not be very popular in Blue. "It must have cost to get a girlfriend", I said, while savoring a delicious Cointreau. But that part of the story would be for the next day.

I was near the stream Tapalqué. While my telephoto shooting right and left imagined that in these waters must have watered the horses of Catriel

I got up very early to get the best time to take pictures. I was near the Tapalqué stream, bordering the field, looking for photographing birds. While my telephoto shooting right and left imagined that in these waters must have watered the horses of Catriel. After a while I returned to the mansion just in time to sit at the breakfast table while Jorge commented on the ride we would.

"Tordillo, sorrel, backpack ... ", he said, pronouncing the Creole name of each of the different coats of the horses saddled us. We go pace with a couple of dogs following us. The shot of a hare made them flee in that direction without them having the slightest chance of catching.

Etienne had a woman brought from his village in France. Her only demand was that she be a worker, "Regardless of her beauty"

"Over there were awnings Catriel", Jorge said pointing towards the Sierras Bayas that were seen in the distance. And as we moved towards a bend in the creek Etienne told us that he brought a woman from his village in France. Sounds weird, ¿no? But so. Asked a woman with the only requirement for working outside, "Regardless of her beauty", wrote to his relatives. It came Germaine Picot, with whom he had eight children.

Suddenly, Another hare! I left my horse gallop following the dogs in their futile race. After the rodeo entire group returned to the "castle". Soon be ready roast, must in any visit to the Argentine countryside.

Over the years the Argentine government defeated the Indians and relocated hundreds of miles away. Suddenly those little value fields became much more attractive; lowered risk and increased production. Etienne, perhaps unknowingly, became rich but continued to live in his rustic home and working from dawn to dusk.

In the twenties formed a new social class with those rich kids, sons of ranchers, which imported the Parisian lifestyle

We ate roast noon in what remained of the original ranch stay. Low ceiling, adobe walls, ground floor ... the typical nineteenth-century rural construction. Jorge told us the story of a famous fight between gauchos had happened at the same ranch. A machete is pure twisted until one ended with his guts to air, "Hatch", as he said then. Is the source of the deadly fight? One had good cards (or would trap) and both had several glasses of gin more. A common story in the pampas of Argentina that was so good to have our Jorge Luis Borges.

But with the turn of the century also changed society Argentina. Immigrants arrived by hundreds of thousands, fields came to have many workers and cities with many mouths to feed. Landowners became billionaires. While the life of the old pioneers did not change much with wealth, their children had a totally different. In Buenos Aires formed a new social class with those rich kids, sons of ranchers, which imported the Parisian lifestyle. It was in the twenties that the city was filled with palaces and mansions designed by French architects and Italian, fully furnished in Paris, London o Roma. Some of these young, before the death of his parents, had to assume the management of their fields and many European palaces decided to build there. That was one of the sons of Etienne built the impressive mansion of La Isolina. A bit of Paris in the middle of the Pampa Argentina.

We said goodbye to Jorge Louge and his wife to get on our van in the footsteps of Cacique Catriel. Before leaving the Isolina I stopped to take a last photo of the mansion.

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Comments (1)

  • louge jean

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    Hello! what a nice trip in Azul; I would like to have the address of this place for my next vacations in Argentina . It seems to me not to be far from the louge town too . The Louges of Colonel Suarez are also relatives of them. I AM FROM A BRANCH LOUGE OF FRANCE, I am very interested in the history of the Louge in the world .

    thanks for some informations.

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