It is almost impossible to imagine that behind the façade of this
classic construction from the late 1800s
is a place that not only preserves the original structure of what it was -an important period residence- but also has
a curiosity
: a
pool of 25 meters long
that crosses the heart of the block.
It is the
Criolla Mansion
, in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Barracas.
Since 2018 the house has been rented for private events.
Now you can also take guided tours and even eat a barbecue and use the pool.
Strictly speaking,
the pool is a lifeline
, as described by the owner of the property.
He is a fan of swimming and swims in open water.
With an extension of 25 meters (considered semi-Olympic), this pool is
the perfect length for training
.
La Mansión Criolla is one of the traditional Buenos Aires chorizo houses.
Photo: Luciano Thieberger
Together with his family, he acquired the property in 2011 and immediately
understood that he had a treasure on his hands
.
So they decided to keep the original structure of this house: not only the façade, but the succession of rooms, patios and stairs that link this great residence.
Of course, also the coatings, such as pitch pine floors and limestone mosaics, tiles and marbles.
The galleries of the house.
Photo: Luciano Thieberger.
Eclecticism
is the
particularity in the setting of this mansion: "In all rooms the original structure coexists with very diverse objects. Some acquired at auction and others in the antiques house of Gabriel del Campo (Note: a renowned neighbor and owner of an antiques dealer in the San Telmo neighborhood, owner as well as a restaurant on Avenida Caseros). But we also have
modern objects and other traditional
ones, such as two giant Peruvian-style mirrors that people admire a lot," said Ode Vergos, commercial director of Mansión Criolla , accompanying
Clarín
on this tour.
One of the rooms.
It was also a boutique hotel.
Photo: Luciano Thieberger.
The current owners bought the property from a family of American origin who
had transformed the house into a boutique hotel
.
Some of those rooms on the ground floor, redecorated and modernized, are still preserved.
Perhaps in the future it could once again be a hotel or residence for tourists.
A conical light eye that brings light to the dining room.
Photo: Luciano Thieberger.
Contrary to much of what is seen in most of the neighborhoods of the City, where these types of houses
disappear to become buildings of little architectural value
, the family's objective is also to sustain a
part of history
with this property. from the
neighborhood
That is why the idea of doing guided tours to tour the house arose (the next one will be on Tuesday the 31st, at a cost of $4,000 and with prior reservation, @mansioncriolla on Instagram).
The family that owns it kept the original construction.
Photo: Luciano Thieberger
Barracas owes its name precisely to the
old and precarious barracks
that were built at the end of 1700 on the banks of the Riachuelo.
Sheds and sheds that were set up to collect everything from hides to meat and merchandise of all kinds.
It was a
strategic area
, precisely because of its exit to the waters of Riachuelo.
It was a long time before the neighborhood began to be populated, the entire area made up the "outskirts" of the City.
The eclectic decoration, for which they chose many pieces from a famous antique dealer in the area.
Photo: Luciano Thieberger.
With the arrival of immigrants, the neighborhood begins to change.
The first great Italian migration is recorded in 1850 (also to other cities in America).
The area began to be populated with factories and large houses in which entire families lived together.
Hence the
classic conformation of these houses
: a succession of rooms with patios and a common kitchen.
They were also built by the immigrants themselves, well-known in this field.
In fact, they took part in the construction of the most important residences and palaces in the City, commissioned by the most powerful families in the country.
The kitchen, modernized.
Photo: Luciano Thieberger.
In Barracas there was also room for the
fifths of the families that had climbed socially
.
Very important residences that swirled around Montes de Oca avenue.
The yellow fever epidemic changed the configuration of the entire southern area of the City;
families began to move to the northern neighborhoods.
Many houses were abandoned
.
The front of the house.
Nothing suggests that a jewel is hidden behind it.
Photo: Luciano Thieberger
But it was not the case of the original owners of Mansión Criolla (so far, unknown), because the house dates from 1890, which indicates that
they were not afraid of diseases
and beautifully took advantage of an important lot of 8 meters in front for almost 50 meters deep.
Details in one of the environments.
Until now it was used for private events.
Photo: Luciano Thieberger
Over the years, this mansion
annexed another plot
, which allowed the garden to be extended another 50 meters -with an exit on the other side of the block- and that at the end of the story an expert swimmer could build his swimming pool-lift to train.
ACE
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