Estancia

Estancia (Spanish / Portuguese) or estancia ( German: cattle farm ), in Brazil Fazenda is called an estate in South America, on which a stationary, extensive grazing, especially with beef cattle, sheep and dairy cows is operated.

In Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and the extreme south of Brazil came from the first half of the 19th century, the term Estancia (literally " abode ", " living space " ) on, to denote estates where a localized cattle breeding which replaced the simple capture and slaughter of imported by the Spaniards from Europe and feral cattle in the Pampas.

Originally, however, the Estancia denotes not the property, but the serving sent as pasture for the animals grassland section. The property, which is the usually a manor house of the managing owner ( the estanciero ), the so-called - also Puestos mentioned - Ranchos for working there peons and some outbuildings such as storage sheds, small stables for horses, poultry and pigs, etc. -containing, forming the estate building complex is, however, called Casco.

Today, a Estancia can be anything that stands out by its area size from small or medium-sized farms. In the agricultural heartland of Argentina and Uruguay, the Pampa Húmeda with their partly extraordinarily fertile soils might entitle already 300 acres of the designation Estancia, while in Patagonia, beyond the agronomic dry boundary where the pastures are less productive and therefore at least 40 acres of land per cow must be available, the threshold may be approximately 30,000 hectares.

Is Estancia one hand, an agronomically -economic concept, it also has a cultural, popular meaning. So how do we bring the concept of Ranch inevitably with the prairie and the Cowboys in conjunction, we associate the Estancia Gaucho romance and grazing herds of cattle in the endless pampas.

Since the 90s, the cultural heritage of traditional estancias will get more into the consciousness of the respective countries. It is also observed that specifically reach the historic estancias due to its prestigious and luxurious flair increasingly common in the possession of foreigners purchasing power. Estancias are used today, for example, in Patagonia, the surroundings of Buenos Aires and Uruguay, increasingly, tourism.

Gallery

Estancia Guardia del Monte, Rocha, Uruguay

Estancia San Eugenio, Florida, Uruguay

Abandoned Casco formerly a stately Estancia, Florida, Uruguay

Estancia San Pedro de Timote, Florida, Uruguay