Illuminated Block facts for kids
The Illuminated Block (Spanish: Manzana de las Luces) is a very old and important place in the Monserrat neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It's a special city block full of history, where many important buildings and events happened over hundreds of years!
Contents
A Place of Learning and Faith
The Jesuits, a group of priests, arrived in Buenos Aires in 1608. They started their first mission on a large piece of land. Later, they moved to a new spot.
Work on the Saint Ignatius Church began in 1686. This church was built in a beautiful style called Baroque. It was finished in 1722. Right next to it, the College of St. Ignatius was built between 1710 and 1729.
This college was the only school in colonial Buenos Aires that offered a classical education. It had the best labs, a museum, and a large library. There was also a pharmacy, the first in the city, run by an English Jesuit priest named Father Thomas Falkner.
Changes Over Time
In 1767, the Jesuits had to leave. This meant their mission and a nearby hospital closed. But the college didn't stay closed for long! In 1772, it became the Royal College of San Carlos.
The church was also used differently for a while. Father Falkner's pharmacy helped start the first school of medicine in what is now Argentina, in 1780. The first printing press in the city was also set up here in 1780. It printed materials that helped fund an orphanage.
Role in Independence
The Illuminated Block played a small part in the Argentine War of Independence. In 1811, a group of soldiers called the Regiment of Patricians stayed at the college.
There's also a network of five tunnels under the old mission. People believe these tunnels were built to help move supplies during a siege or even for secret trade. They helped keep ammunition safe during the war.
After the May Revolution in 1810, a public library opened here in 1812. Later, in 1821, the University of Buenos Aires and the General Archive were started at this site. A few days later, a local newspaper called the area the "Illuminated Block."
More Important Institutions
In 1822, the Provincial Legislature and the Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires were also set up here. The city's first natural sciences museum was also here for a time.
A secondary school started in 1817 in the Illuminated Block. This school eventually became the Buenos Aires National College in 1863. It is now one of the most famous and respected schools in the country.
The Provincial Legislature building was even used as the Argentine National Congress for a few years. The Buenos Aires City Legislature also met here from 1894 to 1931. The old Provincial Legislature building was last used as the University of Buenos Aires School of Architecture until 1972.
In 1942, the Illuminated Block was declared a National Historic Monument. This means it's a very important historical site that needs to be protected. Parts of it, including some of the old tunnels, were restored in 1983.
See also
In Spanish: Manzana de las Luces para niños
- List of Jesuit sites
