Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A view from Viedma across Río Negro to Iglesia Parroquial Nuestra Señora del Carmen
1 Carmen de
Patagones
Road map C4. 597 miles (960 km) S of
Buenos Aires. * 20,000. @ g n
Mitre 84, (02920) 464-819. _ Fiesta
de 7 de Marzo (Mar).
east of the tower. Most famous,
though, is La Carlota , an 1820s
house accessed via guided tour
from the Museo Histórico.
Salesiano Cardenal Cagliero .
It is housed within the
Manzana Histórica , which was
once the headquarters of a
Salesian mission established in
1880. The museum preserves
some splendid architectural
details and displays various
religious artifacts. Also housed
within the Manzana Historica
is the Museo Gardeliano .
Displaying vintage artifacts
and showing films related
to the singer-songwriter,
filmmaker, and tango legend
Carlos Gardel, it is also used as
a multicultural, multimedia
space for the arts.
E Museo Histórico Regional
Emma Nozzi
Ave J. J. Biedma 64. Te l (02920) 462-
729. Open varies (call in advance).
Both the northern gateway to
Patagonia and a historical jewel,
the small town of Carmen de
Patagones was founded as a fort
settlement in 1779. The first
settlers arrived from Spain a year
later and were forced to dig
caves into the banks of Río
Negro for shelter, the remains of
which can still be seen.
To explore the town's history,
visitors should head to the
jumble of streets between Plaza
7 de Marzo and the port area.
On the waterfront, housed in a
building dating from 1799, is
Museo Histórico Regional
Emma Nozzi . It has displays on
19th-century Carmen de
Patagones; one of the old
settlers' caves can be accessed
via the museum's patio.
On the plaza is Iglesia
Parroquial Nuestra Señora del
Carmen . Two Brazilian flags
hang on either side of its altar,
captured in 1827 after the defeat
of a Brazilian invasion force. On
the same block, although
slightly obscured, is the Torre
del Fuerte watchtower, the
single surviving remnant of the
town's original military fort.
Several mud-brick abodes from
the early 1800s, located south of
the tower, are open to visits,
including Rancho Rial , while
Casa de la Cultura is one block
2 Viedma
Road map C4. 1 mile (2 km) S of
Carmen de Patagones. * 60,000. ~
@ g n Ave Francisco de Viedma
51, (02920) 427-171. _ Fiesta de 7 de
Marzo (Mar).  viedma.gov.ar
Located across Río Negro from
Carmen de Patagones, Viedma
is a small town but with good
traveler services. It also boasts
what is considered to be
Patagonia's most aesthetically
inspired museum, Museo
E Museo Salesiano
Cardenal Cagliero
Manzana Histórica, Ave Rivadavia.
Te l (02920) 1561-3355. Open varies.
E Museo Gardeliano
As above. Open as above.
The Welsh in Patagonia
The Welsh presence in Patagonia dates from 1865, when 153
pioneers set sail for a land they saw as free of English domination.
They made landfall two months later, founding Puerto Madryn on
the Argentinian coast, before settling 60 miles (100 km) to the south
in the more fertile Chubut Valley. It is this region that constitutes the
heart of Welsh Patagonia. Here, Welsh chapels dot the landscape,
teahouses are run by the
pioneers' descendants, and,
in Gaiman especially, the
Welsh language is widely
spoken. The year's biggest
celebration is the
Eisteddfod (see p44) , a
Welsh music and poetry
festival that dates from
medieval times.
A Welsh farmhouse in Gaiman
For hotels and restaurants see pp278-83 and pp288-99
 
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