The wind carries whispers of history. Here before you lies Isla Demarchi a small island at the southern tip of Puerto Madero. It’s officially part of La Boca a vibrant neighborhood known for its colorful houses and tango.
Isla Demarchi wasn’t always an island. It was originally a marshy area. The Demarchi brothers Antonio Marcos and Demetrio sons of the Italo-Swiss Baron Silvestre Demarchi owned this land. They significantly expanded it in the early 20th century. This was part of a larger project to expand Puerto Madero. The expansion took decades with various port facilities being added by the Ministry of Public Works.
The final stage of the island’s expansion happened in 1966. This was the construction of the Central Costanera a major power plant. The Demarchi family itself was quite influential. They were founders and shareholders of the Bank of Italy and the River Plate. They were also the owners of La Estrella Pharmacy. The brothers were entrepreneurs expanding into other pharmacies and even cotton production in the Chaco region of Argentina. The family’s impact extended far beyond Isla Demarchi.
Interestingly River Plate’s very first football field was here on Isla Demarchi. It was behind the Wilson coal depots a makeshift pitch in the early days of the famous club. The Naval Shipyards a key part of Argentina’s maritime history were also established here on November 10 1879. They were eventually renamed Arsenal Naval Buenos Aires in 1922.
In 1971 it was formed as a joint-stock company. It was a significant player in maintaining and repairing the Argentinian Navy’s ships. The shipyard was even privatized in 1991 under President Carlos Saúl Menem’s privatization plan. This privatization would eventually lead to a presumed fraudulent bankruptcy in 1999.
Today Isla Demarchi is a bustling area with a surprising diversity of uses. The Naval Observatory and the Museum of Casts and Comparative Sculpture stand alongside industrial sites. There are storage facilities for YPF Argentina’s state-owned oil company. The former Domecq García Shipyard now houses Tandanor. The Undersecretariat of Ports and Waterways is also situated here along with the National Fluvial School. A testament to the island’s significance throughout Argentinan history. A place of industry heritage and intriguing history.