Argentina: The Great Estancias (Hardcover)

~ Cesar Aira (Author), Juan Pablo Queiroz (Editor), Tomas de Elia (Photographer), Cristina Cassinelli de Corral (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

A fascinating but strange place, Argentina: a land of great but unfulfilled promise, a South American country whose self-image is European. Argentinians' vision of themselves as European asserts itself in the architectural styles in which the houses on the great cattle-ranching estates were designed, many of which would look more at home in the French or English countryside. Twenty-two Argentine ranches are featured here, largely a different selection than that presented in the similar Estancias (1992). Following an introductory history of Argentine cattle ranching, particularly its place in the nation's economy, the reader makes brief but indelible visitations to each ranch by way of gorgeous photographs of houses, gardens, and mountain-backdropped pastures, as well as by text telling each place's history. Travelers and history buffs will linger over every striking page. Brad Hooper

Product Description

Argentina's magnificent estancias--country estates and working ranches--are guardians of the nation's cultural heritage, from its Spanish-colonial beginnings to the romantic legacy of the gaucho, to the contributions of early-twentieth-century naturalists and entrepreneurs who explored the rugged south. With their historical main residences, picturesque grounds, and beautiful collections of artwork and heirlooms, these estates preserve the genteel traditions cultivated by generations of landowning families. Adventurous settlers and Jesuits established the first estancias in the seventeenth century on vast, remote tracts of land ceded by the Spanish crown. Overcoming a harsh climate, solitude, and sporadic clashes with Indians, these missionaries and European immigrants began to raise cattle, sheep, and grain. By the turn of the century, many of their descendants headed important cattle-ranching and agricultural empires and were counted among an international elite of tastemakers, politicians, philanthropists, and art patrons.

In this volume are twenty-two rarely glimpsed estancias, portrayed in rich color photographs with accompanying text that narrates the unique history of each estate and family. The distinctive main houses reflect a wide variety of architectural styles that include criollo (creole) mansions, English castles, Palladian villas, French châteaux, and Spanish palaces. The estates are surrounded by breathtaking terrain ranging form the snow-capped Andes bordering Chile to the golden plains of the pampa in the province of Buenos Aires, and south to the crystal waters of subantarctic Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego.

Nearly all these estancias are owned today by descendants of the founding families, and most are published here for the first time. Complementing the photographs are eighteenth and nineteenth-century drawings, portraits, and paintings of life on the estancias, as well as photographs of celebrated guests over the years, including Edward, Prince of Wales (later Duke of Windsor) and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The introduction discusses the early history of the estancias and their pivotal role in Argentine culture, and includes colorful excerpts from the journals of explorers and writers.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications (September 15, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0847819051
• ISBN-13: 978-0847819058
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 11.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,202,411 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Artistry, Beautiful Landscapes, Beautiful Architecture!, February 5, 2006

By	Penny Dreadful (Under Your Skin) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING !!, August 2, 2001

By	Kevin M. Garland (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Magnificent Tour of the Wealth of Argentina, April 8, 2007

By	Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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