Indio Comahue Monument
Monumento al Indio Comahue | |
| File:Indio Comahue Cropped.jpg | |
 | |
| 39°5′27.64″S 67°4′40.11″W / 39.0910111°S 67.0778083°W | |
| Location | Villa Regina, Río Negro, Argentina |
|---|---|
| Designer | Miguel de Lisi |
| Material | Reinforced concrete, ceramic brick, iron |
| Height | 12.92 metres (42.4 ft) |
| Beginning date | July 1964 |
| Completion date | September 1964 |
| Opening date | November 7, 1964 |
| Dedicated to | Native inhabitants of the Comahue |
The Monumento al Indio Comahue (Monument to the Comahue Indian) is a monument located in Villa Regina, in the Argentinian province Río Negro, in honor of the native inhabitants of the Comahue Region. The monument was built for the inaugural Comahue National Fair in 1964.
Commissioned by the organizer of the fair, it was designed by Miguel De Lisi and constructed in two months by local bricklayer Aldo Cardozo. Presently used as an overlook for its panoramic view, the structure is considered a symbol of the town, and as such it is depicted in the coat of arms.
History
The monument was erected to commemorate the native inhabitants of Comahue.[1] It was constructed for the first Comahue National Fair,[2] a 45-day event held in 1964 that aimed to expose the economical potential of the Comahue Region, as well as to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the founding of Villa Regina. Bartolo Pasin and Rogelio Chimenti, who organized the fair, proposed the construction to designer Miguel De Lisi, after seeing his work at the City Hotel in Mar del Plata.[3]
Construction
De Lisi sent the prints to the local construction team led by Aldo Humberto Cardozo and Alberto Sartor. Originally planned to be 10 metres (33 ft) tall, Cardozo re-scaled the structure to 10.92 metres (35.8 ft), later also adding a 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) high base.[3] The monument depicts a native who holds a long spear while watching the horizon.[2]
Starting in July 1964, the structure was built in reinforced concrete with an iron skeleton composed of 4 inches (100 mm) pipes, reinforced with radial sections that were soldered every 50 centimetres (20 in), respectively. It was later filled from the feet to the hips of the figure with ceramic brick and concrete, and the top half was finished with a layer of reinforced concrete. The monument was completed in two months with an estimated weight of 80 tonelades and 12.90 metres (42.3 ft) of height. Five hundred bags of cement, 2,500 kilograms (5,500 lb) of iron, 60 metres (200 ft) of steel, and 80 square metres (860 sq ft) of sand were used during the construction.[4]
It was later painted by the local inhabitant Carlos Basabe Cerdá. The process was difficult due to strong winds that blew the wooden planks of the scaffolds to a nearby ditch. The planks were later tied by the construction team. The painters applied first a primer coat, then linseed oil, varnish, and a final coat of copper glitter.[2][5] The monument was inaugurated during the opening of the Comahue National Fair on September 7, 1964.[4]
The Monument and Villa Regina
The structure is located on the northern hill of the town, which has an elevation of 70 metres (230 ft) to 80 metres (260 ft). The hill is mostly forested by bushes and can be accessed through two paths, which end on the monument.[6] Currently it is used as an overlook for its panoramic view of the town; it is also the location of the finish line for the annual trekking trail competition, Trekking al Indio Comahue.[7]
Considered the symbol of Villa Regina, the Indio Comahue is depicted in that city's coat of arms.[8] It was also depicted in the previous seal of the Río Negro Province,[9] designed by the government of the Argentine Revolution. The latter seal was replaced in 2009 by the previous one, designed in 1966.[10] The Comahue National Fair was relaunched in 2004, and currently is celebrated every two years.[11]
External links
- Interview with Aldo Cardozo, constructor of the monument (in Spanish)
Footnotes
- ^ Automóvil Club Argentino 2004, p. 268.
- ^ a b c YPF 1998, p. 96.
- ^ a b Zanini, Silvia Laura, p. 432.
- ^ a b Zanini, Silvia Laura 2006, p. 433.
- ^ "Monumento al Indio Comahue Villa Regina" (in Spanish). Villa Regina Tourist Board. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - ^ "Indio Comahue Barda Norte, Villa Regina". Argentina Turismo. Argentinaturismo.com.ar. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - ^ "Villa Regina: la Perla del Valle". Patagonia.com.ar. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - ^ Zanini, Silvia Laura, p. 433.
- ^ "Cuarenta años después, reeditan la Feria del Comahue en Regina". Rio Negro. Rio Negro.com.ar. June 11, 2004. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - ^ "Río Negro con nuevo escudo oficial". Al Dia Newspaper (in Spanish). Diario Al Día.com.ar. September 15, 2009. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - ^ "Feria Nacional del Comahue" (in Spanish). Patagonia.com.ar. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help)
References
- Automóvil Club Argentino (2004). Guía Turística Argentina. Automóvil Club Argentino. ISBN 978-987-52-9046-4.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - YPF (1998). Patagonia y Antártida Argentina: Guía Turística (in Spanish). Editorial San Telmo.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - Zanini, Silvia Laura (2006). Las historias que nos unen : una perla junto a la barda (in Spanish). ISBN 978-987-05-1868-6.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help); Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help)