Here stands Tapiales a town steeped in history. It is a place where the echoes of the past resonate through its streets. Tapiales history begins in 1902. Agustin Elia established it along the Buenos Aires Western Railway.
Elia purchased the land. It once belonged to Francisco Bernabe Madero a former Vice President. In 1906, Elia sold the property to La Franco Argentina. This company was a prominent Buenos Aires real estate firm.
The town’s name comes from Chacra de Los Tapiales. The Altolaguirre family built this “adobe wall ranch” in the early 19th century. It remains a landmark in Tapiales.
La Franco Argentina sold the land. They divided it into lots for investors and homeowners. In 1908, the railway inaugurated a station. La Franco Argentina owned a stake in the railway. They also opened a rail yard.
Tapiales faced a geographical division. The Riccheri Freeway opened in 1952. It connected Buenos Aires to Ministro Pistarini International Airport.
The town grew significantly. From 1968 to 1971, El Hogar Obrero built a housing complex. It had 900 units. El Hogar Obrero was a leader in the Argentine cooperative movement.
Tapiales was chosen for the Buenos Aires Central Market. This is the nation’s largest wholesale market. It opened in Tapiales in 1984. It replaced the Abasto de Buenos Aires. The market is Tapiales’ largest employer.
Hidden within the bustling Central Market lies a treasure. It is the Chacra de Los Tapiales. This place holds a piece of Argentina’s history. Its origins trace back to 1615. Hernando Arias de Saavedra granted 7000 hectares to Pedro Gutierrez. Gutierrez was a Spanish conquistador.
The estancia’s main house dates back to the late 18th century. Martin Altolaguirre once owned it. He was among the first agricultural engineers. He worked in an agriculture company in Argentina.
In 1808, Francisco Ramos Mejia bought the Chacra. This began a long connection. The Chacra de Los Tapiales became linked with the Ramos Mejia family. Important figures visited here. Manuel Belgrano and Juan Jose Castelli were among them. Mariano Moreno, the Liniers brothers, and General Lavalle also visited.
Ramos Mejia protected the indigenous people. He lived here at a time of racial prejudice. He treated the pampas and gauchos as guests. He taught them farming and animal husbandry. He ensured they received an education. He represented the chiefs. He brokered the Treaty of Miraflores. It was a peace agreement. It was between the whites and the indigenous people.
Francisco died in 1828. The pampas took his body. They buried him in a secret place.
Juan Manuel de Rosas’ government confiscated the Chacra. In 1852, the Ramos Mejia family regained it.
In 1942, the Chacra was declared a National Historic Monument. The Ramos Mejia family owned it until 1963. The government declared the land for public use. This was to build the Mercado Central de Buenos Aires. The historic center remained intact. The Corporacion Mercado Central preserves it.
In 1987, Pope John Paul II visited Argentina. A special room was prepared for him. It was in the Chacra. He used it before celebrating Mass. The Mass at the Market gathered 300000 people.
Today, filmmakers seek out the Chacra. They use it as a location. It is perfect for period films and commercials. Tapiales and its Chacra whisper tales of Argentina’s past.