Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
period, thus earning Córdoba the nickname “La
Docta” - “The Learned.” The university was
administered by the Jesuit Fathers until they
were expelled from South America by the Span-
ish Crown in 1767. The building was restored
under the direction of the Argentine Architect
Kronfus. The two-story building, a colonial-
style cloister by design, surrounds a lovely
patio in its interior, which has at its center a
bronze statue of Fray Trejo y Sanabria. In the
library is a small altar dedicated to Dr.
Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield, author of Argentina's
Civil Code.
Next door to the University is the Jesuit
Church,
La Iglesia de la Compañía de
Jesús
, the city's only church whose structure
dates back to the 17th century. Constructed
between 1644 and 1674, the stern austerity of
its facade makes the opulence of the interior all
the more surprising. Many of the baroque
altars were installed during the 18th century,
while the Carrera marble work on the walls is
from the 19th century. The portraits of the
Apostles in the main nave are by the Córdobes
painter Genaro Pérez. Most striking, however,
is the church's ceiling, especially given the way
in which its design came about.
Building the Church
Midway through construction, the
builders ran out of the funds needed to
finish it using the large stones for the
ceiling, as was customary during that
