Customer Reviews

Argentina: The Great Estancias

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I found this Rizzoli hard bound book a delight to read and look through. The pictures are of outside & inside views including landscapes & gardens. I never knew anything about Argentina before I bought this book. About 22 properties photographed. Text is clear, specific and inviting. Also have FAZENDAS - THE GREAT HOUSES & PLANTATIONS OF BRAZIL which is just as good. If you are a visual person and see a 1,000 things in a photograph, this book is for you. Certainly made me realise that not the great buildings are in Europe or USA.

A gorgeous collection of photographs taken on "estancias" across Argentina's many regions, from its near tropical north, through its flatlands so reminiscent of the American Midwest, to the rugged south with its Alpine highlands. Not only is this book graced by informative text, but it is simply a treasure to gaze at for hours.

Tomas de Elia great photographs capture not only the european architecture of the Argentine houses and gardens but also the romantic atmosphere of the pampas. The book is impeccably designed and lavishly illustrated and allow us to wander into a part of the Argentine private world closed off to all but the most adventurous.

Argentina is a fascinating country, a land of intrigue (the Peron years, the lingering mysteries of the Disappearing Ones), a land praised for the beauty of its vast landscapes and waterfalls and seemingly endless ranches where gauchos still stir the imagination, the home of the Tango, the home of the preeminent Teatro Colon, etc. But this book of richly colorful photographs and interesting writing introduces yet another aspect of the country less known - the Great Estancias.

Covering twenty two impressive estates/mansions throughout the land of Argentina author Cesar Aria shares the importance of these disparate estates. Just as the country has always been Euro-centric so are the variations of the homes here rendered. There are recreations of Italian, French and English 'palaces' (they are far too grand to be mere homes!) and the histories of the buildings combined with the histories of the families who created them. But Argentina also celebrates the vast land resources and the great captains of ranching whose country homes are equal in grandeur to the other more traditional 'museums' in the book.

The photography includes not only the facades of the buildings but also the approaches and the grounds and the interiors. The variety is surprising and the quality of the color photography is excellent. For an insider's glimpse into a country of many facets, this beautifully designed and produced book makes a fine addition to the library. Grady Harp, April 07

This is an awesome book for anyone interested in photography, travel, landscape or architecture. Hard to find out of print book still holds up and has some breathtaking photography in it. It made me want to jump on a plane and visit far away places. A really outstanding book. It gives you a brief history of Argentina and then goes right into some incredible views of the landscape as well as some interior photographs showing some of the opulence and well as the general population. Thumbs way up.

How often do you read a coffee table book cover to cover? Fascinating. After finishing this book I wanted to know more about this aspect of Argentine life. I wonder if the Estancias are open to travelers? This book makes me want to hop on a plane and travel through the rural regions of Argentina visiting these wonderful places.

As other reviewers have mentioned, the photographs are excellent. Very evocative. The text provides very useful background information about each Estancia and additional descriptions of many of the photos. My favorite photo is Jackie at San Miguel in 1966 astride a big black horse, looking back with that enigmatic smile. She is so obviously in mourning.

The Great Estancias fueled my imagination and created the feeling of almost being there. The photos make it easy to imagine what it would be like to live in this world, another time and place far away. What more can we ask of a book?