The Bernasconi, the largest school-palace in the country
Seven years passed after the death of entrepreneur and shoemaker Félix Fernando Bernasconi—who died in Paris in 1914—until the foundation stone was laid on September 26, 1921, for the colossal educational complex that bears his name, having bequeathed his fortune for that purpose. His dream stands imposingly on a hill in the Parque de los Patricios neighborhood.
The harmonious four-level massif covers two blocks, with a total perimeter of more than 600 m, integrating an area of approximately 20,500 m2 where the frontage on Catamarca Street reaches 140 m and is framed by Cátulo Castillo, Rondeau and Esteban de Luca streets.
It was the last "palace school" built in the country, in line with the importance the State placed on education. It opened on October 22, 1929 , standing out for its impressive size, its unique location on a natural elevation, the surrounding greenery, and its neo-Renaissance style. These qualities continue to be preserved, including a recent comprehensive restoration commissioned by the Buenos Aires City Government.
Three hours spent exploring the two hectares of the Bernasconi Institute (IB), which is visited daily by some 5,000 people including students, teachers, non-teaching staff, suppliers, service personnel and parents, provide an astonishing summary: large, well-ventilated and bright classrooms, 1,200 m² of playgrounds, a vast dining hall for all-day students , two heated underground swimming pools and a 400-seat auditorium.
These structures are complemented by two cultural and spatial landmarks: the charming library with valuable volumes accompanied by fine furniture with green lampshades, and a dazzling museum created by the talent of the distinguished Riojan educator Rosario Vera Peñaloza.
In keeping with the palatial concept, wide Carrara marble staircases connect the many spaces, gleaming columns and ornamentation worthy of any European castle, as well as elegant circulation galleries with arcades surrounding the main courtyards, in addition to elevators with capacity for 35 students, administrative offices...
It is indeed impressive and enormous. Hence the well-deserved recognition of National Historic Monument and the City of Buenos Aires for an institution designed in 1918 by the prolific architect Juan Abel Adrián Waldorp (1885-1962), who always signed his works on the facades with the addition of "son" or "h" given that his father, Jan Abel Adriaan Waldorp, was named the same, a Dutch engineer brought to Argentina as the designer and builder of the port of Ensenada.
Specialists agree that Waldorp Jr., who was also director of architecture for the National Council of Education, brought his artistic talent and technical knowledge to this building complex and interpreted the aspirations of Bernasconi's will.
The plot on which it was built was acquired from the company La América , owner of some brick kilns, on the land that previously belonged to the scientist, naturalist, explorer and geographer –among other knowledge–, Francisco Pascasio Moreno (1852-1919), who had one of the last country houses in the area there and which was previously the “El Edén” ranch, when it was in the hands of his father, Facundo Moreno.
“Perito Moreno,” as we all call him, greatly appreciated his fruit trees, allowing neighborhood children to play in his field and hosting parties and kermeses with neighbors. His memory lives on thanks to a aguaribay tree he planted in 1872 to enjoy its shade. It was the first tree declared “historical,” in 1943, and it remains leafy with its yellowish flowers and reddish clusters of fruit.
The entrance from Catamarca is the most sumptuous, with a soaring staircase, three arched doorways flanked by two sculptures depicting Greek mythology (by the artist Alberto Lagos ), and a crowning feature presided over by a clock (which once held a carillon). A doorway leads to the vestibule that leads to the Hall of Lost Steps, where a stately staircase leads to the foyer of the auditorium and theater.
At the ends and at the intersection of the pavilions rise turrets with hipped tiled roofs. The right side of the palace was designated for girls and the left for boys, as shown in the inscriptions on the façade and in Waldorp's hand-drawn plans; this gender division was discontinued in the 1960s.
There are several visual works inside and in the park, such as the large oil painting El Libertador San Martín en Boulogne Sur Mer by Antonio Alice, from 1915; two sculptures of Sarmiento and a very well-kept art gallery of Víctor Aurelio Cincioni (1904 - 1985), an Argentine naturalist painter, strongly landscape-based. In artistic terms, various spaces were film locations, including Topos by Emiliano Romero; Kamchatka by Marcelo Piñeyro; La cautiva by Gastón Birabén; and Lugares comunes by Adolfo Aristarain.
Bernasconi completed his primary and part of secondary school in the country, which he completed in Europe. Upon his return, he devoted himself to working alongside his father in the shoe company, a job that required him to spend a lot of time abroad, which enriched him culturally as well as economically.
When he was just 45 years old (he died at 54) and living at 669 Victoria Street (later Hipólito Yrigoyen), very close to the Casa Rosada, he decided to give his wealth a patriotic purpose since he had no forced heirs (wife or children). In a gesture of exemplary altruism , he signed his will on June 21, 1905, before a notary .
“…he stated to me that he appoints the National Education Council as the sole and universal heir of all his assets located in this Argentine Republic… it will be used in the construction of a school palace in this capital of Buenos Aires, leaving the aforementioned Council completely free to choose the site where said building will be erected…”.
The son of Swiss immigrants and born in Buenos Aires in 1860, Félix developed an active, restless personality, well-traveled and cultured, intelligent, of notable commercial prestige, caring, sensitive and always willing to help with the education of children and with those who suffered, as demonstrated by the fact that he also bequeathed money to the Orphan Asylum, the Children's Hospital, the Asylum for Helpless Children and the Women's Hospital, among others. He died in Paris on May 4, 1914 .
The dynamics of the pedagogical conglomerate are incessant, it is a world of people. A simple enumeration is valid: two kindergartens (Moreno and Aguaribay), four primary schools (Carlos Saavedra Lamas, Rafael Bielsa, Juan Ángel Golfarini and Enrique Banchs), the Complementary Educational Swimming Center , the Children's Activities Center , the Martha Salotti primary school for adults and adolescents, the Athos Palma Choir and Orchestra School , a Secondary Level Educational Center , professionalizing workshops in cooking and hairdressing, accessory and fashion design, computing, English, the Children's Activities Center (which includes external students), interschool events and the active Bernasconi Museum visited by students from other primary, secondary and university entities and researchers.
“Hearing ' this is the Bernasconi' or ' I'm at the Bernasconi' evokes a sense of passion; that's what it generates. The doors are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and we strive to ensure that, from a pedagogical standpoint, it is a high-quality educational institution in all the institutions that operate here,” Julio Ledesma , general coordinator of the IB, told LUGARES. He was accompanied in the interview by Violeta Uriarte, the coordination secretary; Anabella Montero, the coordinator of the Bernasconi Museum; and Julieta Muñoz, architect and works supervisor for the General Directorate of School Infrastructure of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (GCBA).
"Furthermore," he added, "we are proud to have two privileged locations, the library and the Museum, due to their high attendance. Visitors are thrilled when they discover these spaces; each delegation that discovers them has a rich experience."
For his part, Uriarte noted that "activity is intense every day, and even more so when several events are held simultaneously. The number of researchers who consult the library, the Institute's digital and physical archives, and the materials from all provinces regarding the history of education and museums, is also significant."
Architect Muñoz emphasized that "the recent restorations were carried out after material, historical, and technical studies to codify and carry them out as they were originally designed, albeit with modern technologies, such as Paris stone cladding. Work was carried out on the front of Cátulo Castillo, in interior courtyards, swimming pools, ceilings... And work on the theater, among other projects, is currently being tendered."
Regarding the museum, Montero referred to "the teacher of the nation," Rosario Vera Peñaloza (1872-1950), who founded the first kindergarten and dedicated her life to teaching. "She managed to materialize her great pedagogical-political project at the Bernasconi Museum: the first Argentine museum for elementary schools with a national approach to explaining social, biological, and geographic phenomena, incorporating works made by her hands and her team, including papier-mâché pieces, prints, handicrafts, and stuffed animals from the native fauna donated by Angel Gallardo ."
It opens to the general public once a month, although the date is random and is likely to be a Friday, as reported on social media. Otherwise, wait until November 8th, when "The Night of the Museums" takes place.
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