Santa Felicitas: with an investment of $ 15 million, the beginning of the value

With its architectural and artistic treasures from French stained glbad windows, altars, sculptures and even a German organ from 1873, the majestic
The church of Santa Felicitas resists oblivion through a
the intention to showcase it. This temple, hidden gem of the industrial district of Barracas, is one of the most beautiful and oldest of the city. Unlike other churches, it was not a matter of venerating a religious figure, but of honoring a rich and aristocratic woman of the nineteenth century.
Congratulations Guerrero, killed by a suitor, a fact considered one of the
first femicides Knowledge of the country.

Despite its architectural value and the legends woven around Felicitas that bring together thousands of visitors, the church suffered from neglect and indifference for two decades. Something that could start to change before the end of this year. "With a budget of $ 15 million, coming from the public and private sectors, work will begin in November for the construction of the famous architect Ernesto Bunge, one of the most beautiful representatives of Germanic architecture in Argentina. ", did he declare.
THE NATION Teresa de Anchorena, President of the
National Commission for Monuments, Places and Historic Properties. However, the agency did not specify who would disburse these funds.

The work, which will last about eight months, aims to restore brightness to the construction inaugurated in 1898 and currently included in the list of valuable goods cities of Buenos Aires and La Plata should be declared World Heritage. for the United Nations.

The project of this first stage includes only the restoration of the façade of Calle Pinzón, which has the greatest number of pathologies of the building. The intention is that the temple finds the original material expression with plasters of different shades.

Throughout its history, the church has had several partial interventions, but no integral ones. In 2016, the city government realized the adaptation of the existing electrical system. However, some historic spiders need to be restored and, in many glbad cairns, keep their carbide pipes. It also remains to illuminate the facade to highlight its two slender towers recalling the neo-Byzantine and the neo-Romanesque, when the building is observed from Plaza Colombia, located opposite. None of these works are planned in this case.

On the other hand, the budget also includes rainwater systems, out of a total of four drains, to prevent leaking roofs. "The work will be done first outside to protect the interior," said Mariana Quiroga, architect of the Monuments Commission, during a visit to the church where were observed ascending and descending molds, as well as missing coatings, outside and inside. of the temple, the damage that affected the interior decorative paintings. Although in 2004, the Dörflers roofing experts were responsible for the slate and zinc roofs of the ships, the central dome and the sacristy, and for stopping the entry of water, it is urgent to solve the problem of repairing drains.

The church, whose entrance is at Isabel la Católica 520, commune 4, comprises the historic complex of Santa Felicitas, which occupies two blocks belonging to the historical protection zone No. 5. Besides the temple, it includes the Quinta Álzaga, the current Plaza Colombia; the ancient oratorio of Álzaga, the tunnels of 1893 and the hidden temple, located in the nearby school. In the area of ​​the square was the manor of Álzaga, which was demolished.

History

According to tradition, at 16, Felicia Antonia Guadalupe Guerrero and Cueto married Martín Gregorio de Álzaga, deceased. According to the portal of the Archbishopric of Buenos Aires, "the widowed woman was left at the age of twenty-four and, after an austere duel, is emotionally linked to Enrique Ocampo, a young person very much conceptualized in the social circles where he acted ".

However, she then switched her feelings in favor of another suitor, Manuel Sáenz Valiente. Ocampo did not accept this situation and, under the pretext of returning gifts and letters, had a violent encounter with Felicitas at the fifth meeting, which ended with two shots on the woman . He died the next day, January 30, 1872, and his remains were buried in the Recoleta cemetery, where they are still found.

Felicitas remained the only heiress of all the wealth of Martín de Álzaga, wealth that, after his death, pbaded into the hands of his wealthy family, because Felicitas had a son, Felix, but died at age 6 years old. the parents

Felicitas' father and mother, Don Carlos Guerrero and Dona Felicitas Cueto, later commissioned the chapel, which still impresses today with its originality and eclectic style, which marvelously combines marbles, stucco and paintings of merit. The windows are of French origin, although they have no signature or mark. The floor is made of Spanish mosaics, the banks are of the time and are characterized by their precious organ of the house Walcker. Inside, two white marble statues, one belonging to Felicitas' in-laws and, on the other, the image of the woman with Felix. There are also the busts of the donors, the parents of Felicitas.

On the front of the church is an English clock bearing the signature of John Moore and Sons of 1873, originally from Clerkenwell. In the surrounding gardens is a reproduction of the Grotto of Lourdes, work of the engineer G. Kreutzer.

In the 90s, the Warriors, also owners of the castle located on Route 2, donated to the then Buenos Aires Municipality a 600-square-meter church whose construction had been ordered in Honor of Felicitas. Since then, the intervention of successive governments has been very limited in order to preserve the exquisitely decorated building with materials from different countries of Europe.

As a result, the advertised jobs generated an approval. According to Ernesto Salvia, the high priest of Santa Felicitas, "the city, the neighborhood, the community of the chapel are waiting for facilities to protect this treasure of artistic and religious heritage". The same opinion of the neighbors.

"I am happy that they are improving the church.I hope they now give Mbad more often," said Beatriz Aizcorbe, while buying fruit at the Plaza's fair Colombia. For his part, José Coco said: "It's great, if it is, it would be fantastic, I think they have already started repairing it and then abandoned it."

"I'm eighty years old and I find it unfortunate that something as beautiful is so bad that we do not keep it," added Elba Rodríguez, crossing Isabel la Católica street with her monkey trader.

Photos: Silvana Colombo

Photographic edition: Fernanda Corbani

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