A Five Years' Residence in Buenos Ayres, During the years 1820 to 1825: Containing Remarks on the Country and Inhabitants; and a Visit to Colonia Del SacramentoLove, George Thomas
History
A Five Years' Residence in Buenos Ayres, During the years 1820 to 1825: Containing Remarks on the Country and Inhabitants; and a Visit to Colonia Del Sacramento
Love, George Thomas
Buenos Aires (Argentina) -- Description and travel; Colonia del Sacramento (Uruguay) -- Description and travel
Of the churches, that of St. Francisco seems most profusely ornamented.
Virgins and saints of all descriptions occupy every altar and nook of
the interior, clothed in rich and fanciful attire, which the devotion of
the faithful has bestowed. The grand altar is very brilliant; and when
fully lighted, it appears a sheet of gold. Some of the ornaments, I
should think, are valuable. This edifice is of considerable length, and
contains twenty friars of the order of St. Francisco, the only community
of the sort now existing in Buenos Ayres. The towers are paved with
tiling, which, at a distance, looks like marble. St. Francisco's church
is my favourite, for, child-like, I am attracted by glitter.
The College church is one I rarely visit, from prejudice or revenge at
an insult offered to me by one of the servants, who told me Englishmen
had no business there, and absolutely took my arm to conduct me out. In
any other place I should have chastised him.--It is a gloomy structure,
both outside and inside, even with the usual decorations. The Holy Ghost
proceeds on its different missions from this church.
St. Domingo church is large, with a spacious dome. It had, until the
suppression, in 1822, forty-eight friars of the Dominican order; amongst
whom was an Irish priest, Father Burke, who, from motives of kindness,
is still allowed to occupy his apartment. He is more than 70 years of
age, and much esteemed by the British as well as natives, being divested
of those prejudices which so often disgrace his cloth. The rooms of the
friars, and the garden, make it a comfortable retreat. The interior of
St. Domingo is light and airy, without much decoration; but it contains
objects that swell the beating hearts of Englishmen--British standards
ranged around the dome, the trophies of Beresford's and Whitelock's
expeditions. Crawford, with part of his division, it will be
recollected, took refuge in this church. I have viewed those flags with
the most painful recollections, obtained, as they were, not in open
fight, but by concealed and inaccessible enemies; and have felt for the
fate of my unhappy countrymen, slaughtered, without an opportunity to
retaliate, by those who could not have stood one half-hour before them
in a fair field of battle. This city is almost the only one in the world
that can boast the possession of such prizes.
The church of Le Merced is a very pretty building, with a dome and
tower. The interior is compact, and, in splendour, very little inferior
to St. Francisco; containing virgins, Madonas, holy pictures, &c. &c. in
gorgeous abundance, with the usual quantity of confessional boxes. It is
much resorted to. Until lately, it held forty-five friars, of the order
of Le Merced; a peculiar order, allowing its professors, it is said, to
wear concealed arms. One of the regiments attends divine service, and
their band performs, in this church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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