Glossary - The Argentina we have not Seen

Aberdeen Angus	Bovine breed used for its meat. It is originally from Scotland. It is of a median size and it has a black coat. It is an important bovine breed in Great Britain, Argentina and the United States of America.
Academic	In Fine Arts, subjection to spirit and technique of generally accepted artistic tradition symbolized by academies.
Alberto Vacarezza	Dramatic Argentine author born in 1896. He wrote many one-act farces such us "Tu cuna fue un conventillo" (You were born in a tenement house), "El teniente Peñaloza" (Lieutenant Peñaloza), "Cuando un pobre se divierte" (When a poor man has fun) and some dramas such as "La Casa de los Batallan" (The Batallan's house).
Alfereces	"People skilled in horse-riding". They wear a band from their left to their right shoulder, crossing their chest and back.
Aloja	Drink made out of carob tree and alcohol.
Alto Peru	Comprising present-day Bolivia and adjacent areas of Peru/the Peruvian highlands.
Ambrotype	Wet-plate collodion positive image made on glass, one of a kind. Ambrotypes were popular from 1852 to the mid 1860s. (More information)
American Rhea	Runner birds comprising three species of rhea in South America. Its speed was related to death.
Añapa	Sweet drink made out of carob tree.
Angel Villoldo	(1860-1919) Author of a great number of Tangos that were very representative of his time.
Anglo	Popular name given to the Anglo-Argentine Tramways.
Antonio Esteban Aguero	Recognized poet from San Luis. His work is totally dedicated to the places, characters, animals or songs of the province of San Luis.
Antonio Ghiberti	Florentine sculptor and architect (1378-1455). Author of the bronze doors of the Baptistery of Florence’s cathedral, referred to as the “Doors of Paradise” by Michelangelo Buonarroti. One of the doors was created between 1403 and 1424 and the other one between 1425 and 1452.
Architect Jose Maria Peña	Director of the Buenos Aires City Museum. Founder of San Telmo’s Antiques Fair, City of Buenos Aires.
Art Deco	Was a popular international design movement from 1925 until 1939, affecting the decorative arts. (More ixnformation)
Art Nouveau	A style of architecture and interior decor dating from the late 1800s marked by the excessive use of undulations, such as waves, flames, flower stalks and flowing hair.
Arturo Dresco	(1875 – 1961) Important Argentine sculptor.
Ashlar	Kind of stone used for the construction of important works.
Atlantes	Name given to the statues of men supporting the architrave over their heads or shoulders.
Augusto Passaglia	Author of 2 of the 3 modern (1887) doors of Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral in Florence, Italy.
Bajo de Veliz	Formation dating from the Superior Carbonic period of the Paleozoic Era, with an age of 286 million years.
Banister	A handrail with its supporting posts. (Webster's Dictionary)
Bartolome Mitre	(1821 - 1906) Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868. (More information)
Battlement	A parapet with open spaces that surmounts a wall and is used for defence or decoration. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Belen	Name of one of the indigenous culture, mainly developed in Belen, Province of Catamarca.
Benedictine Order	Order that observes the Rule of St. Benedict written by St, Benedict in his final days (540 a. C.).
Benito Quinquela Martin	(1890-1977) Considered the “Riachuelo” artist, and the most popular of Argentine plastic artists. His work can be seen in the finest museums in Europe and America.
Bernardino Rivadavia	President of Argentina between 1826 and 1827.
Bethlehem Order	Monks belonging to an order founded in Guatemala in the 17th century by Pedro de Bethencourt. They were in Argentina during the Vicereign period.
Bishop Jose Eusebio Colombres	Religious person from the province of Tucuman, congressman in 1816 and founder of the sugar industry in Argentina.
Blunderbuss	A short musket of wide bore with a flared muzzle. (Websters’ Online Dictionary)
Boisserie	(Fr.) Wood cover that is used in the interior walls of a building.
Bon Marché	The first store to become a great department store by absorbing small shops was Paris Bon Marché, in 1838. For this reason, Pacific Shopping Centre, in the city of Buenos Aires, was referred to as Bon Marché. Also: General store
Bragado	Village of the Province of Buenos Aires with an important lake to which the legend relates.
Bragao	Abbreviation of Bragado.
Brass	An alloy of copper and zinc. (Webster’s Online Dictionary)
Capital	The uppermost member of a column or pilaster crowning the shaft and taking the weight of the entablature. (Webster's Dictionary)
Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) or Capibara	Also known as carpincho in Spanish. Largest living rodent in the world. (More information)
Carillon	A set of fixed bells sounded by hammers controlled by a keyboard. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Carlos Gardel	Argentine singer and composer who got famous after appearing in film productions in the United States.
Carlos Guerrero	Landlord of the Province of Buenos Aires that, after the Dessert Campaign conducted by Julio. A. Roca, introduces the Aberdeen Angus bovine breed in Argentina.
Carob tree	Latin American leguminous tree. Its wood is resinous and the seeds are eatable. They are used to make an intoxicating drink. It was part of Argentina native inhabitants’ diet.
Casa Chorizo	“Sausage house”. In order to make the most out of the space of each block, and due to the quick expansion of Argentina’s population in the beginning of the XXth century, many houses were cut in half, making two houses out of one. The result was a long house with the rooms lined up and communicated to each other through one window-door that opened into a lateral courtyard.
Catacombs	Underground galleries where dead people were buried.
Cayasta	Settlement founded in 1750. In 1780 it was moved for the first time and in 1794 for the second to its current location.
Chaco-Santiagueña	Originated in the pre-Columbian cultures of the Chaco Region (Eco-geographic region defined by its vegetation and located in South America).
Childhood Patronage	One of the oldest private entities concerned with general welfare in Argentina. It was founded in 1892, in the middle of an important economic and political crisis, with the aim of protecting the helpless children that were found in the streets or tenement houses in Buenos Aires.
Chinita	Slang for "young lady" employed in Argentina’s countryside.
Chipiacas	“Chipiac” was the word for horse in the Mocovi language. Consequently, it may be assumed that the native Americans used this word to point to the region that was later called the Calchaqui Valley, through were Gregorio de Bazan had arrived from Santiago del Estero to Malabrigo riding the first “Chipiac” (horses) that the Mocovis had ever seen.
Chivilcoy	City of the province of Buenos Aires, located in the centre-east of Argentina. The village was founded in 1854, when Genera Sarmiento established a Swiss and an Italian colony in it. The village was named after a Tribal leader called Chivilcoy.
Cienaga culture	The Cienaga culture developed in the Northwest of Argentina; mainly in the Province of Catamarca, although its influence goes from the Calchaqui Valley on the North, to the Northern area of the Province of San Juan. (More information)
Claude Debussy	(1862-1918) French composer.
Collodion	First formulated in 1846, collodion was, and still is, used as a medical dressing. Made from cotton (or cellulose), soaked in nitric and sulphuric acids, it is thoroughly washed and dried, and then dissolved in ether and alcohol. (More information)
Comechingon	indigenous inhabitants who, at the moment of the Spanish Conquer, lived in the mountain ranges of Cordoba and San Luis in Argentina.
Condor	Species of bird. They are the largest flying birds that still exist. There are two species of condor, one that lives in the Andes, and another one, that lives in California. Condors are scavengers. They feed on carrion.
Conlara country	Old name given to the valley comprised by the provinces of San Luis, Cordoba and Mendoza.
Conlara Valley	Wide zone covering the provinces of San Luis, Cordoba and Mendoza the name of which is of aboriginal origin.
Constitution Sermon	Famous political-religious sermon pronounced in relation to the meaning of the National Constitution.
Constitutional Congress of 1826	In charge of producing the Constitution of the Argentine Republic of the 14th of December of 1826 in Buenos Aires. The provinces rejected this constitution.
Constitutional Congress of Santa Fe of 1853	Argentine Constitution of 1853 was the first constitution of Argentina approved with the support of the governments of the provinces —though without that of the Buenos Aires Province, who remained separated of the Argentine Confederation until 1859.
Corinthian order	Is one of the Classical orders of Greek and Roman architecture, characterized by a slender fluted column and an ornate capital decorated with acanthus leaves and scrolls. (More information)
Cornelio Saavedra	(1759-1829) was a military man, born to a noble family in Potosi (in present day, Bolivia), part of the Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata. He was involved in the Buenos Aires May Revolution. (More information)
Court Palace	The Supreme Court of Justice, along with other departments of the Ministry of Justice, has its offices in this building.
Cowbell	A bell hung about the neck of a cow to make a sound by which it can be located. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Crank	A hand tool consisting of a rotating shaft with parallel handle. (Webster’s Online Dictionary)
Creole	a person of native birth but of European descent – used esp. in the West Indies and Spanish America. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Curiyu	(Hydrodynastes gigas). Yellow Anaconda originally from Argentina and Brazil.
Cuyo	The Cuyo region is located on the West of Argentina. It occupies a small portion of the provinces of Catamarca, La Rioja and San Luis; and almost completely, San Juan and Mendoza.
Cyrus’ Palace	Cyrus’ Palace is an example of the elegance and refinement of Persian Art.
Daguerreotype	Early type of photograph (1839), developed by Louis Daguerre and Nicephore Niepce, in which the image is exposed directly onto a mirror-polished surface of silver bearing a coating of silver halide particles deposited by iodine vapour.
Dardo Rocha	Argentine politician born in 1838. He graduated in laws, fought for General Mitre, was a member of the national parliament, and later a national senator. The most important work of his life was the foundation of the city of La Plata and its urban design.
Declaration of Independence	The United Provinces of the River Plate, currently comprising the territory covered mainly by Argentina and Uruguay, declare their Independence during a Congress held in the City of Tucuman on the 9th of July of 1816.
Decree of 1933	Decree of Literary Works Preservation binding all publishers, either of newspapers, magazines or books to deliver two copies of each publication, both to the National Library and to the National Congress Library.
Dessert Campaign	Military campaign carried out by the government of Argentina against the native cultures, with the aim of dominating the territory of the Pampa and Patagonia.
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento	(1811-1888) Among others, teacher, writer, journalist and president of Argentina. He performed an important educational labour.
Doric	A Greek-style column with only a simple decoration around the top, usually a smooth or slightly rounded band of wood, stone or plaster.
Drover	Someone who drives a herd. (Webster’s Online Dictionary)
Eclecticism	Making decisions on the basis of what seems best instead of following some single doctrine or style. (Webster’s Online Dictionary)
Eduardo Villagra	Designated as Gualeguaychu’s commander-in-chief by Justo Jose de Urquiza.
Emil Berliner	German inventor creator of the gramophone for recording the singers’ voices in 1887.
Ernesto de la Carcova	Argentine plastic artist who played a decisive roll in the creation of the Imitations Museum.
Ernesto Servine	Discovered the spiders during the exploitation of the slate lutites in the former quarry of Santa Rosa of the Bajo de Veliz.
Esteban de Luca	Military, poet and journalist. He participated actively as a lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion of the Patrician's Regiment during the English invasions to Buenos Aires (1806-1807).
Extremadura	Old province of Spain that used to reach the Duero River.
Facon	Large knife from Argentina and Uruguay.
Felix Coluccio	Argentine folklore researcher. Author of a remarkable amount of work on Argentine folklore since 1945 onwards. He was awarded with the Platinum Konex National Award as well as with SADE’s Honour Band. He was Undersecretary of Culture of Argentina and Director of the National Arts Fund.
Ferrotype	(tintype) Positive image on asphalted iron, made using the wet-plate collodion process.
Fique’s Store	Luis Fique arrived in Tierra del Fuego in the year 1884 along with the expedition of Major Laserre, and became the first argentine person to become an Ushuaia resident. The Fique family owned, among other properties, a store (the most important of those times), which had its own pier.
Foxtrot	Type of ballroom dance, originally from the United Status of America which was popular in the beginning of the XXth century.
Francisco Tamburini	"I have advised to add part of the two existing buildings, that is, the two wings of the corners, near the space destined to the arch: ... in the lateral building a bit of everything can be found; the German style windows on the ground floor have nothing to do with the Renaissance columns or with the Venetian or Florentine windows of the first floor. The latter present a bizarre contrast with the heavy German roofs that cover the building".
Frieze	The part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Frontis	Facade or frontage.
Funerary urn	Vase of variable shapes meant to contain the ashes or mummified corps of the dead in ancient times.
Gaucho	Cowboy of the South American pampas. (Webster’s Dictionary)
General Julio Argentino Roca	(1843 –1914) Army general who served as President of Argentina from 12 October 1880 to 12 October 1886 and again from 12 October 1898 to 12 October 1904. (More information)
General Justo Jose de Urquiza	(1801 - 1870) Governor of Entre Rios who defeated Rosas. He was a propeller of national organization and the first constitutional president of Argentina.
General Lavalle	City located in the province of Buenos Aires, through which the meat and fish for export went through.
Giusseppe Garibaldi	(1807 – 1882) was an Italian military and political leader. He contributed to the independence of Uruguay, leading the Italian Legion in the Uruguayan Civil War, and afterwards returned to Italy as a commander in the conflicts of the Risorgimento, contributing to the Italian unification process (More information)
Gothic	Style of architecture developed in the northern France and spreading through western Europe from the middle of the 12th century to the early 16th century that is characterized by the converging of weights and strains at isolated points upon slender vertical piers and counterbalancing buttresses and by pointed arches and vaulting. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Greslebin, Hector (architect)	Argentinean archaeologist born in 1893. He is author of works relating to pre-Columbus architecture, Diaguitas (native Argentine culture) pottery and civilization of the provinces of Chaco and Santiago del Estero. He was the first researcher of the Tunnels of the Illuminated Block and an important defender of their preservation.
Guillermo Rawson	Dr. Guillermo Golesbery Rawson (1821-1890) was a medical doctor and one of the most influential politicians in nineteenth century Argentina. (More information)
Haylli	"People on foot" or "men who sing". They wear a sort of scapular that covers their chest and part of their back, adorned with hanging trinkets and little mirrors. They also use a headband on the forehead from which red ribbons hang on the back.
Hernan Arias de Saavedra	Also called Hernandarias. Governor of Asuncion, in Paraguay, between 1591 and 1615.
Hogar Obrero	“Labourers Home” was a credit union founded by the socialists Nicolas Repetto and Juan B. Justo on the 30th of July of 1905. Besides granting credits for housing and consumption, the Hogar Obrero participated in the Food Industry and in the production of electronic household equipment.
Hole	(Sp. Hueco) Word used in Argentine to designate a square as well as any vacant land in a city or town during the XIXths century.
Imperforate	(of a stamp or sheet of stamps) Lacking perforations or rouletting. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Incunabulum	Early printed book, printed before the end of A. D. 1500.
Institute of Historical Researches on the Illuminated Block	Private institute devoted to the research of the development of the Illuminated Block during the period of Buenos Aires’ foundation.
Interpretation Path	Path containing explanatory signs describing every detail of the landscape.
Inti Huasi	Argentine archaeological bed, located in the Conlara Valley discovered by archaeologist Alberto Rex Gonzalez.
Ionic	Belonging to or resembling the Ionic order of architecture characterized esp. by the spiral volutes of its capital. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Jose de San Martin	(1778 – 1850) Argentine general and one of the prime leaders of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.
Jose Podesta	(1858-1937) Argentine drama player and theatre manager, from a family devoted to show business. He created the first Argentine Popular Theatre Company: The Podesta Brothers.
Jose Rufino Lucero y Sosa	Governor of San Luis from May 29th, 1867 to November 21st, 1870. He developed an important work in relation to trying to take peace to the province that was undergoing at that time serious political quarrels.
Juan Agustin Iceto	President of the La Boca Historical Records Board who collaborated on this subject.
Juan Carlos Castañino	(1908-1972) Argentine plastic artist. He is specially remembered because of the illustration he did for the 1963 edition of the Martin Fierro.
Juan de Garay	Spanish conqueror born in the first third of the XVI century. Founder of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Fe and Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Juan M Vigo	Argentine historian.
Juan Manuel Blanes	Uruguayan artist, born in Montevideo (1830-1901). He specialized in the historical and portrait genres.
Juan Manuel de Rosas	Governor of Buenos Aires between 1829-1832 and 1835-1852.
Jukebox	Automatic Record Player.
Jurassic	From 135 million to 190 million years ago; dinosaurs; conifers. (Webster’s Online Dictionary)
Kristiania	Oslo, capital of Norway.
La Boca	Crowded neighbourhood of the City of Buenos Aires, whose inhabitants - mainly from Genoa, Italy- occupied it attracted by the possibility of working at the port.
La Plata	Capital city of the province of Buenos Aires.
Lenga	Type of trees that predominate in the woods located on the coast of the rivers, seas and Canals in Tierra del Fuego, along with the cigüe and the cypress.
Leopoldo Lugones	Argentine writer born in Rio Seco (Province of Catamarca) (1874-1938). He was one of the greatest Argentine poets, if not the most important one of his times.
Lola Mora	(1866 - 1936) was an Argentine sculptor. She is known today as a rebel and a pioneer in her artistic field. Her real name was Dolores Mora Vega. (More information)
Lope de Vega	(1562-1635) Spanish poet and drama writer known as “The Fenix of the wit”.
Luis de Cervi	Italian painter born in Lucca (1863-1945). The painting of the ceiling of the White Room is an allegory of the May Revolution of 1810 and the Independence of the 9th of July of 1816. It was painted in 1910. He is the author of several other works both in Argentina and Europe.
Lujan	Important city close to the Capital of Argentina that has one of the most important Cathedrals of the country around which processions take place as from 1630.
Lunfardo	Expressions originally employed by the lower classes in the city of Buenos Aires and around. Many of its words and expressions were later popularised and widespread in the Spanish language employed in Argentina and Uruguay.
Lutite	Rocks of the Paleozoic period. See also Wikipedia: ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form siltstone or solid, mudrock lutites.
Majolica	Renaissance Italian pottery glazed, richly coloured, and ornamented; also, a modern imitation of it. (Webster's Dictionary)
Making the America	(“Hacerse la America”). Expression that, when used in Spanish, is used to refer to those who came to America with the hope of making abundant money.
Manuel Belgrano	Among others, when he was 23 years old he is designated the first Secretary of the Consulate. From there he decides to stimulate education.
Manuel Dorrego	(1787-1828) Argentine statesman and soldier. He was governor of Buenos Aires in 1820, and then again from 1827-1828. (More information)
Marcela Garrido	Museum expert, researcher and author of many research summaries mostly related to the Illuminated Block. She is a full member of the Institute bearing this name. Her father was Dr Alfredo Garrido, Chief Notary of the Argentine Government and founder of the Institute of Historical Research on the Illuminated Block.
Maria Guerrero and Fernando Diaz de Mendoza	Spanish actors leading a cast with their names.
Mariano Moreno	Among others, Secretary of War and Government of the First Government of 1810. He created the first public library.
Martin Fierro	Narrative poem by Jose Hernandez considered an example of the gaucho literary style in Argentina and Uruguay. It was published in 1872.
Masonry/ Freemasonry	Largest and most widely established fraternal order in the world devoted to general ideals, such as fraternity, equality, and peace.
Matara Altarpiece	The town of Matara is located in the province of Santiago del Estero and developed religious art with a strong influence of the Alto Peru.
Matara Cross	Made out of "mistol", a fibrous wood, found in the North of Argentina, Bolivia, Peru y Paraguay. It is an important testimony of a certain moment in history, its culture and religious movement.
Mate	Arg., Bol., Chile and Ur. Recipient used to drink an infusion made of mate herbs.
May Government	Group of men concerned about the Independence from Spanish domain after the British Invasion. The May Revolution that took place on the 25th of May of 1810 was the first step for the Independence that was achieved on the 16th of July of 1816.
May Revolution	25th of May of 1810 was the first step for Argentina’s Independence, which was achieved on the 16th of July of 1816.
Mayo Avenue	Projected around 1880 by the city’s first Mayor, Torcuato de Alvear, in order to link Mayo Square with the Congress.
Mayorazgo Hotel	The most important international hotel in the city of Parana, built in the middle of Urquiza’s Park.
Mazorca	Cob-corn. Society founded in Buenos Aires during the government of Rosas that committed awful atrocities. Its name is a mixture between "mazorca" and "mas horca" ("more gallow").
Miguel de Unamuno	(1864-1936) Spanish philosopher and writer considered one of the most remarkable modern-times intellectuals.
Mint	A plant where money is coined by authority of the government. (Websters Online Dictionary)
Miserere	Important square within the City of Buenos Aires; that used to be a stop for the carriages transporting food.
Mocoví	Person from a native American village belonging to the Guaicuru family living between the Bermejo and Salado rivers, in the North of Argentina.
Monk Mamerto Esquiu	Argentine monk and orator (1826-1883). He was the author of the valuable "Research on the Church and the State".
Monserrat	One of Buenos Aires neighbourhoods.
Monsignor Mariano Antonio Espinosa	(1844-1923) First bishop of the city of La Plata and Archbishop of the City of Buenos Aires. He accompanied Julio A. Roca in the dessert campaign. As a religious person he stood out because of the construction of churches, chapels and schools and for promoting the ecclesiastical studies.
Montepio	Charitable institution.
Mortar	Muzzle-loading indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It typically has a barrel length less than 15 times its calibre.
Mulita	(Dasypus septemcinctus). Lesser Long-nosed Armadillo.
Municipal Architecture Award	The Government of the City of Buenos Aires promoted good quality buildings by encouraging both architects and constructors with annual awards until the late 40’s.
Municipal Bank of Loans	Currently, the Bank of the City (“Banco de la Ciudad”)
Mural Crown	Distinctive emblem of the nobility.
Murcia Tower	Related to the four towers of the Murcia’s flag.
National Organization Process	Name given to the period after the fall of Rosas (1852).
Neoclassical	Of or relating to a revival or adaptation of the classical style esp. in literature, art or music. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Neogothic Style	Gothic style performed outside its place of origin, France, and after its boom (between the XII and XVI centuries).
Nicolas Avellaneda	President of Argentina between 1874 and 1880.
Obras Sanitarias de la Nacion (OSN)	Argentine government company dedicated to the provision of the tap water service, sewer and rain water drainage; created in 1912 and dissolved in 1993, when all of the activities it performed were privatised.
Ogive	A diagonal arch or rib across a gothic vault. (Webster’s Dictionary) The author of this Basilica was evidently inspired in the famous Notre Dame at Paris.
Onyx	Chalcedony in parallel layers of different shades of colour. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Pablo Lucero	Brigadier-General born on November 17th, 1802. On November 19th, 1841, he was elected Governor of San Luis and re-elected for another five years in 1844.
Papier-mâché	A light strong molding material of wastepaper pulped with glue and other additives. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Patricians	People who stands out in society because of their breed, wealth or virtues.
Pavon	Argentine River situated in the Province of Santa Fe. In its banks, General Mitre defeated General Urquiza in 1861.
Peat	Partially carbonized vegetable matter saturated with water; used as a fuel when dried.
Pedro Benoit	(1836-1897) Worked in numerous engineer, architectonic and topographic projects in Argentina.
Pedro de Cevallos	Spanish military (1716-1778), governor of Buenos Aires (1756-1766) and first Rio de la Plata Viceroy. He declared the freedom of trade in Argentina.
Peludo	Hairy armadillo from Argentina and Uruguay.
Pereyra Iraola	Argentine family characterised for breeding cows in their farms located in Tandil, Balcarce, Tres Arroyos, San Nicolas, as well as in the “San Juan” farm located in Quilmes, which is today the Pereyra Iraola Park.
Piazza	(It.) Square.
Pietro Mascagni	Italian composer (1863-1945). Cavalleria Rusticana was his main composition.
Plaiting	Interweaved strands or locks of braid.
Plateresque	Resembling silver plate; -- said of certain architectural ornaments. (Webster’s Online Dictionary)
Plow/ Plough	An implement used to cut, lift, and turn over soil esp. in preparing a seedbed. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Poncho	Simple garment used in the Andes region designed to keep the body warm, or if made from an impermeable material, to keep dry during rain.
Pony	One of any of several breeds of very small stocky animals (in this case, horses) noted for their gentleness and endurance.
Priest Ermenegildo Garcia	Spanish, priest of San Luis’ Capital Church during the years 1880-1885, as attested in "400 years of San Luis’ Church ".
Priest Salvador Narvaez	While he was on his mission in Poman he started gathering archaeological material of the Western region of the Province of Catamarca, which he exhibited in the Franciscan Convent.
Professor Alberto Rex Gonzalez	Argentine archaeologist who found projectile lithic points associated to other lithic and bone remains dated by means of radiocarbon 14 from 6,000 B.C.
Protomedicato	(Examining Board of Physicians) Board that examined future doctors during the colonial times. Nowadays it is known as Faculty of Medicine.
Pterosaur	("winged lizard") Was a flying reptile. They existed from the late Triassic to the Cretaceous periods (from 228 to 65 million years ago). (More information)
Pulperia	Word used in some Latin-American countries for "Grocery Store". Store where goods such as wine, brandy, liquors were sold. It was also drugstore, peddlers ware, dry-goods store, etc.
Puntanos	Name given to the inhabitants of the city of San Luis, as it was founded at the foot of a hill called "of the point".
Quebracho	Species of trees that grow in the Great Chaco region of South America. These species provide tannin and a very hard, durable timber. The etymology of the name appears to be Spanish quiebrahacha, "axe-breaker". (More information)
Quechua	Official Inca's language spread along the vast South-American territory throughout the extension of their empire.
Rabbit's Valley	Region located on the side of one of the hills, where rabbits have reproduced to the extreme that they can be found by thousands on the path that leads to the lagoons.
Radiocarbon 14	Method for the determination of the age of rocks and minerals. Through the application of this method geologists can decode the 4,600 million years existence of the Earth.
Reed	Stem that is used for making the roofs of houses.
Residence	(Sp. Residencia) Name given to San Telmo neighbourhood during the XIXth century.
Respond	An engaged pillar supporting an arch or closing a colonnade or arcade. (Webster's Dictionary)
Ricardo Guiraldes	(1886-1927) Argentine novelist and poet, particularly known for his 1926 novel Don Segundo Sombra.
Ricardo Rojas	(1882 - 1957) Argentine writer. He studied in Santiago del Estero and was a journalist, Spanish Literature professor and director of the University of Buenos Aires (1926-1930).
Ring horseracing	To get a spear or a small stick through a ring hanging from a string while riding either on horseback or on a bicycle.
Robert de Sorbon	(1201 –1274) French theologian and founder of the Sorbonne college in Paris. Sorbon began to teach around 1253 and in 1257 established the Maison de Sorbonne, a college in Paris originally intended to teach theology to twenty poor students. It was sponsored by King Louis and received the endorsement of Pope Alexander IV in 1259.
Rodolfo Medina	Argentine sculptor of the “new generation”.
Rogelio de Yrurtia	(1879-1950) One of Argentina’s most important sculptors. His main work was “An Ode to Work”.
Roque Saenz Peña	President of Argentina between 1910 y 1914.
Saavedra	(Alvaro) Spanish sailor of the XVI century who travelled with Cortes.
Saddle pad	“Recado” has been translated as “Saddle pad”. In Argentina, “recado” is a group of implements composing the saddle used by the countrymen.
Sainete (one-act farce)	(Argentina) Small dramatic play on a humorous subject.
Saint Mark’s Lion (Winged-Lion)	Symbol of Venice, Italy.
Saint Michael’s Church	Famous for its decoration and images, it’s one of the oldest Churches in Buenos Aires.
Santo Turibius of Mongrovejo	(1538 - 1606) was a Spanish judge of the court of the Inquisition and missionary Archbishop of Lima from the Spanish nobility. (More information)
Salting House	Place where both meat and fish are salted.
San Antonio de Areco	In the XVII century the river bearing this name was already known as Areco. From that moment on, the territory constituting the basin of the river was known as ARECO´s AREA.
San Lorenzo’s Combat	(1813) First victory of San Martin in American territory.
San Pedro Telmo	(1185-1246) Spanish clergyman, confessor and protecting saint of the sailors. He was said to calm storms down by just lifting a cross to it. He is the saint of San Telmo neighbourhood’s church in the City of Buenos Aires.
Santamarina	Culture named after the place where it developed, Santa Maria in Catamarca.
Scape	The small concave curve at the top or bottom of the shaft of a column where it joins the capital or base. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Shaft	Part of the column between the capital and the base.
Silvia Alabama	Archaeologists researching the Sierra de las Quijadas territory. Her final research on the subject was published in 1989.
Small Temple	Small frame in the shape of a temple to cover a little image or, as in this case, an old building for its preservation.
Sobremonte	Spanish General (1745-1827). Viceroy of the Rio de la Plata (River Plate) between 1804 and 1806. When England defeated Buenos Aires, he escaped taking the Public Treasury with him. He was forced to refund it on his return. When the Second English Invasion to the Viceroyalty of the River Plate took place (1807), he was removed and incarcerated.
Solomonic Column	Helical column, characterized by a spiralling twisting shaft like a corkscrew.
Spin	To draw out and twist fibber into yarn or thread. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Spindle	a round stick with tapered ends used to form and twist the yarn in hand spinning. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Stereoscopic Camera	Type of camera with two or more lenses in order to simulate human binocular vision, and capture three-dimensional images. The distance between the lenses in a stereo camera is about the distance between one's eyes.
Suri	One of the names given to the American Rhea.
Tarantella	A lively whirling Italian dance for two persons.
The Mosquito	Popular Argentine political-satire publication. Copies can still be found in bookstores specialized in old publications.
Thomas Alva Edison	Inventor from the United States, who invented, among other works, an "apparel to record sounds".
Tiahuanaco culture	The Tiwanaku culture (Bolivia), or Tiahuanaco (Peru) is an important pre-Columbian that was located in what today is the frontier between Peru and Bolivia. (More information)
Tierra del Fuego	Territory at the extreme south of Argentina.
To all those “who wished to settle in Argentine soil…”	Part of the preamble to the Argentine Constitution.
Toba	Indigenous people from the Paraguayan-Chaco border. Divided in numerous tribes, some of them still subsist in Colombia, Bolivia and Panama.
Tomas de Rocamora	(1740 –1819) Politician, and military person founder of several cities in the province of Entre Rios, Argentina.
Tosca	Five acts drama by V. Sardou (1887). Giacosa and Ilica made an opera script in three acts that was represented with Puccini’s music in 1903.
Town Hall	(Sp. Cabildo). Place where the Town’s Council gathered.
Tradition Day	Celebrated every 10th of November in Argentina in the memory of the birth of “Jose Hernandez”, poet, author of the book “Martin Fierro”.
Transept	The part of a cruciform church that crosses at right angles to the greatest length between the nave and the apse or choir. (Webster’s Dictionary)
Troop	A flock of mammals or birds. (Webster’s Dictionary)
University of Alcala de Henares	Its facade is a remarkable testimony of XVI th century Spanish plateresque.
Urquiza’s Park	Important park located next to the riverside in the City of Parana, province of Entre Rios.
Ushuaia	Capital city of the National Territory of Tierra del Fuego, Antartica and Southern Atlantic Islands. It is considered to be the world's second (or first)-southernmost city.
Vane	Flat surface that rotates and pushes against air or water. (Webster’s Online Dictionary)
Vaslav Nijinsky	Russian dancer (1890 - 1950). He inaugurated several famous ballets. While in Buenos Aires, he married his prima ballerina, later known as Romola Nijinsky.
Vendetta	Promise of total revenge.
Venice	Continental Italian City, built on a group of small islands in the middle of the Adriatic lagoons.
Vicente Casares	Lead the modernization of the milk producers in Argentina in the XIXth century.
Viceroy	A royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch.
Victrola	Disc player.
Virginio Colombo	Italian architect who arrived in Buenos Aires in the beginning of the XX century. (More information)
War with Paraguay: Paraguayan War: War of the Triple Alliance	Fought from 1864 to 1870, and caused more deaths than any other South American war. It was fought between Paraguay and the allied countries of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.
Winch	Lifting device consisting of a horizontal cylinder turned by a crank on which a cable or rope winds. (Webster’s Online Dictionary)
Yamanas	Intrepid canoe sailors, hunters of marine mammals, and collectors of shellfish.
Yarara	(Bothrops alternatus). Venomous pitviper species found in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina.
Yellow Fever or Black Vomit	Acute viral disease. It is an important cause of hemorrhagic illness in many African and South American countries. (More information)
Yungulo	Last tribal chief of the Comechingones (first half of the XVIth century).