Neighborhood | Barracas
Barracas Neighborhood
 
Barracas: “...Precarious constructions to store leathers and other products of the country that should embark upon the Stream, or to receive the merchandise that arrived from the outside”
(Enrique de Gandía)
 
In the XVIII century in Buenos Aires there were a lot of barracks: the England Real Seat (Retiro), the Guinea Company (Lezama Park), and the Stream Barracks. 
 
The barracks were built at the beginning of the 18th century, on the Stream edge.
Germinal Nogués said that the limits are: Patricios avenue, Defensa street, Caseros avenue, Velez Sarsfield avenue, Amancio Alcorta avenue, Lafayette street, Miravé street, Zavaleta street, Lavarden street, the Belgrano railroad and the Stream. 
 
At the beginning of the XX century Barracas was populated by a crossbreeding in which Judes, Italian and Spanish, lived together in the well known tenement houses.
 
The Barracas neighborhood resembles, in its history, to other neighborhoods of the south zone. San Telmo, San Cristobal, Parque Patricios, all of them suffered a terrible illness: the yellow fever, and it obligated them to move to the northern part of the city. The ones that remained in the neighborhood did of it a place of spree, in which prostitutes, small cafes and little houses were frequented not only by the neighbors, but for all brave of the city. 
 
The modernization of the city, in the middle of the 20th century, built a renewed Buenos Aires with European characteristics. But Barracas did not follow this process because factories and markets were closed, and over 30.000 families had to move to another neighborhoods.
 
Excuse me if I have passed. 
I do not like to disturb,
but I chat too much
when I take a pair of
drinks
and gives me remembers.
 
The Gálvez bridge
 
The first project of a passage that facilitate the transfer of carriages and people was in the year 1779 when the City Hall resolved:
 
“...put it with two ropes grasped of a band and another, so the people that use it, can do it with better comfort and without risk of their lives; and for this time is done to benefit. ..”
 
The bridge was tried to be installed in the spot called of the Canoe, where the traffic was continuous. In this way the wagons would avoid to take a long trip.
In 1785 the City Hall declared:
 
“...the need and utility of building a bridge in the place called Barracas”
 
Juan Gutiérrez Gálvez summarized the project, he was the owner of one of the most important canoes of the epoch. Finally in 1791 he communicated to the City Hall that the bridge was finished and it was inaugurated on December 1st. 
 
In a short time, it was said that the bridge was not well built and that was almost in ruins. After important floods, broken parts and dangers for the nearby fields, many architects tried to restore it 
 
The name of one of the most representative and most important bridges for the people of  Buenos Aires was called of different forms: Gálvez, Barracas or Pueyrredón. It is, without doubt, one of the Buenos Aires most authentic places.
Santa Lucía Parish
 
“Santa Lucía, Virgin and Martyr,
was lily and rose all your life;
Was a loving song to Jesus.
By him now, for us,
in the world risky path,
Santa Lucía, your name is light.”
 
It can not be forgotten when one does a visit to the Neighborhood. It is located in the ex Ensenada de Barragán street and Pampas street, then Larga street, Santa Lucía avenue and actually Montes de Oca avenue. 
 
The Public Chapel of Santa Lucía belonged to María Josefa de Alquizalete, who transferred  it, situated in Sarmiento street and Montevideo street, to her land in Barracas. 
 
When it was decided to transfer the chapel to the present Villafañe street, in front of  a small park, there was a great commotion from the part of the faithful. 
 
The virgin procession was carried out on December 13th, where the faithful used to pray while they celebrated with black men orchestras and rockets. Still today such festivals can be enjoyed, but not such-dimensional, along the Larga street or Montes de Oca avenue.
 
The thing was in Barracas. 
They called her Soledad. 
There was not more good-looking girl.. 
Soledad, of Barracas,
that brought me loneness.
 
Colombia park

 For the years 1937/38 the neighborhood lacked of a free space or a public walk, so it was decided the creation of this important park. 
 
The Barracas Promotion Company and the Municipal Commissariat arranged the enlargement of the Colombia Park, located among Pinzón street, Brandsen street, Montes de Oca  avenue and Isabel la Católica street. In Montes de Oca avenue, did not exist a public walk so the neighbors decided to do such order.
 
The Direction of Cleaning building, was demolished to enlarge the surface of the park. 
 
In the Park center, the City Hall placed a mast that was donated by the Promotion Company  and the neighborhood, also trees of different varieties were planted. 
In front of this huge park, is located the Santa Felicitas Church. 
The Municipal yearbook of the year 1937 clarifies:
 
“It has been given an extensive park, as the present Colombia park is, to the South of the metropolis neighborhood, the urban development purposes have been satisfied in the first term...” 
                                                          
 
Barracas Art
 
In the year 2001, in the Barracas heart, in Lanin street, was carried out a painted to adorn the 35 houses that were located on that street.  They were painted with abstracts paintings by the plastic artist Marino Santa María. 
 
In a note carried by the newspaper the neighbors commented:
“...This change of the neighborhood is very valuable because it not only change the front of the houses but also changed trees, it had been placed more lighting and the paths were fixed. All this helped to beautify the neighborhood…”
 
The Barracas neighborhood was elected by many writers as scenography for its characters: Leopoldo Marechal placed an orphanage in the neighborhood to enclose its main character (Adán Buenosayres), Sábato chose it to tell the history of Alejandra that lived in a house in Barracas (“On heroes and tombs”). 
 
Hector Pedro Blomberg wrote tango letters to Barracas, he is remembered for “La Pulpera de Santa Lucía”, interpreted by Ignacio Corsini, that was made in homage to the famous Church that even today is remembered on December 13th. 
 
In 1048 Vieytes street, was born the musician Eduardo Arolas and is also from Barracas the famous commentator and speaker Jorge “Cacho” Fontana. 
 
Another walk dedicated to the tango is the one that yields homage to Agustín Bardi, in the Roca Railroad viaducts.