The tour that I took of Parque Lezama and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral were so inspiring that I decided to return to the neighborhood with the whole family on a Saturday. We left home around noon, after B's soccer class (Escuela de fútbol Marangoni). Since the boys were already hungry, we stopped at the bar of Güerrin pizza. We didn't want to eat a whole meal and we didn't want to wait for the leisurely service of a restaurant, so the bar at Güerrin was perfect. We each got some delicious pizza, ate and left. It didn't take much time at all.
Upon arriving at Parque Lezama (at the triple frontier of 3 neighborhoods - San Telmo, La Boca, and Barracas), our first destination was the Cruz de Malta building. Cruz de Malta is a very old and important brand of yerba mate that was originally owned by the Argentine-Brazilian company, Empresa Matte Larangeira Mendes. Now it is owned by the huge conglomerate, Molinos Rio de la Plata.
In 1940 Yerba Mate Larangeira Mendes moved its headquarters to Av. Martin García 464/90 in Buenos Aires. This was also the main industrial building for the company. Not until recently was Cruz de Malta yerba entirely processed in Misiones (where the yerba grows). In 2008, the building was completely redone and redesigned by architects. Today it houses HSBC and is a landmark of "Moderna Buenos Aires".
In 1940 Yerba Mate Larangeira Mendes moved its headquarters to Av. Martin García 464/90 in Buenos Aires. This was also the main industrial building for the company. Not until recently was Cruz de Malta yerba entirely processed in Misiones (where the yerba grows). In 2008, the building was completely redone and redesigned by architects. Today it houses HSBC and is a landmark of "Moderna Buenos Aires".
Giant lions welcome us to the former residence of American businessman Charles Ridgley. Built in 1846, Ridgley had to abandon it and Argentina when his ally, Juan Manuel de Rosas was overthrown in 1852. José Gregorio Lezama (a businessman from Salta) purchased the property. After Lezama's death in 1894, his widow sold the house and its grounds to the city.
Given that both my doctoral dissertation and my book are about the Guaraní and their missions, the items pertaining to the Guaraní missions naturally attracted my attention.