Inmaculada Concepción parish facts for kids
The Inmaculada Concepción Parish is a famous church in the Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires. People often call it "the round church" or "La Redonda" because of its unique shape. You can find it right across from Manuel Belgrano Square. It is also near the Larreta Museum and the Sarmiento Museum.
A Long History Begins
The first church in the Belgrano area was on the corner of La Pampa and 11 de Septiembre streets. A story says the original landowner built it. He wanted his farm workers to have a place for church services. In its early days, this church was known as San Benito.
Later, the land belonged to José Julián Arriola. He gave the church building to the religious leaders. He also donated the land next to it. Arriola had built brick and lime kilns there. These kilns were later used by Franciscan priests.
In 1855, a special rule was made for the new village. It said that the old building needed to be fixed right away. This building would serve as a temporary school and a chapel. This was while new buildings were being built for these purposes.
On December 8, 1856, the chapel was fully repaired. A big celebration was held to mark the occasion. Many important people attended the opening party. These included the Governor of Buenos Aires, Valentín Alsina, and church leaders.
Two years later, Father José Salomón took charge of the church. On April 20, 1860, it officially became a parish. Don Miguel Padin was the first priest of this new parish. The old chapel was small and not very comfortable. The dirt roads leading to it were often muddy.
In early 1864, the local government of Belgrano decided to build a new church. They formed a committee to manage the project.
Building the New Church
Plans for the new church were completed. The construction was set to begin in mid-1864. The budget for the project was $1,630,000. On Sunday, January 23, 1865, the foundation stone was laid. This event happened at six o'clock in the evening. A special document was signed and placed in a chest. The pens used and silver medals were also put inside. Dr. Valentín Alsina was the godfather of the ceremony.
Engineer Nicolas Canale was in charge of building the huge new church. He passed away in 1876. His son, Joseph, continued the work. Architect Juan Antonio Buschiazzo also helped later on. Building was slow because there wasn't enough money. To get more funds, they had to sell the land where the old chapel stood. They also sold land next to the new construction. A newspaper from that time encouraged rich people to buy the land. The money from the sales would help finish the "colossal monument," the new church.
From 1871 to 1875, Father Don Diego Miller led the Parish. He was highly respected for his hard work. He guided the religious life of Belgrano during those years. Miller put all his effort into building the new church. This was a huge job that needed many people working together. His name was at the top of a list. This list was on the wall next to the altar for many years. It named the people on the committee when the church opened.
The church finally opened on December 8, 1878. A grand ceremony was held. The President of Argentina, Dr. Nicolás Avellaneda, attended with his ministers. The governor of Buenos Aires province, Carlos Tejedor, was also there. High church officials and local leaders joined the celebration.
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See also
In Spanish: Parroquia Inmaculada Concepción (Belgrano) para niños
