Luján, Buenos Aires Province

Luján is a city in eastern Argentina, located in the province of Buenos Aires, 75 km west of the state capital, Buenos Aires. It is the most important place of pilgrimage in the country, the city has 67 266 inhabitants ( 2001).

Location

Luján lies in the flat plain at Pampa Río Luján, which leads to Tigre in the Río de la Plata. The area is used for agriculture.

History

The Legend of Luján

According to tradition, the resident in the province of Santiago del Estero Portuguese Antonio Faria Saa ordered in 1630 a statue of Mary from Brazil. The transport convoy made ​​on his trip from Buenos Aires to the north stop in an area about 40 kilometers east of Luján. As the journey should be continued, stopped the cart, which housed the statue, stuck in the ground and did not move further. When they took down the package with the statue, it was easy to continue to move the carts. They saw this as a sign from God that the statue should remain in this place, and handed them therefore to the owner of the field, who built her a chapel, which was once visited by pilgrims. An originating from Cape Verde young slave named Manuel became its first priest.

As in 1663, a new track to the west (now the Ruta Nacional 7, by Luján leads ) was inaugurated, was the area in which stood the chapel, far away from the traffic. When the chapel was then visited a decreasing and further came down, gave in 1671 a local woman Arbol Solo, today Luján, to, to build a chapel there. However, according to legend, the statue disappeared inexplicably three times and appeared again in the old chapel. Only when the statue processions and fairs dedicated and most recently the slaves bought and Manuel began as a pastor, she was allegedly at the new location.

Development of the city Luján up today

1685, finally, the first chapel was built in Luján. The pilgrims took to always on, so that you can 1748 a larger church built. After independence, the city which had in the meantime also become important militarily in the war against the Indians at grew, and on, the same thing happened to the pilgrims. 1864, the city was connected to the railway network. Between 1887 and 1930, the present church was built. Since then Luján is the most important pilgrimage of Argentina, in October each year there is a pilgrimage from Buenos Aires to Luján, sometimes tens of thousands of counts. Also from other cities, there are now - less massive - Pilgrim marches. There is also a pilgrimage in November in horse-drawn carriage of Luján from the well -known place of pilgrimage industrial town of San Nicolas de los Arroyos.

Attractions

The Basilica of Luján in neo-Gothic style, inaugurated in 1930 (see above ) is the largest and most important building in the city. The Historic Colonial Museum consists of two buildings from the colonial era: the house of the Viceroy and the Cabildo, and houses historical documents mainly from the period 1770-1816, but also from later eras. The Transport Museum is the most important of the country, it is home to, among others, several carriages and the first locomotive of Argentina.

Economy

In addition to services for pilgrims Luján is also the center of the rich agricultural area of ​​the environment and therefore also has some industry, mainly agricultural industry.

Twinning

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Florentino Ameghino (1854-1911), naturalist, zoologist, paleontologist, geologist and anthropologist
  • Carlos Suffern (1901-1991), composer
  • Pedro Troglio (born 1965 ), football player and coach
Provinces of Argentina Buenos Aires Province Partido Pampas Tigre, Buenos Aires Province Santiago del Estero Province Industrial agriculture Marshfield (Wisconsin)
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