The Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba () are a former Jesuit reduction built by missionaries in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, named a World Heritage Site in 2000.

The Manzana Jesuítica contains the University of Córdoba, one of the oldest in South America, the Monserrat Secondary School, a church, and residence buildings. To maintain such a project, the Jesuits operated six Estancias (residences) around the province of Córdoba, named Caroya, Jesús María, Santa Catalina, Alta Gracia, Candelaria, and San Ignacio.

Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba

The farm and the complex, started in 1615, had to be left by the Jesuits, following the 1767 decree by King Charles III of Spain that expelled them from the continent. They were then run by the Franciscans until 1853, when the Jesuits returned to The Americas. Nevertheless, the university and the high-school were nationalized a year later.

Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba

Each Estancia has its own church and set of buildings, around which towns grew, such as Alta Gracia, the closest to the Block. The Jesuit Block and the Estancias can be visited by tourists; the Road of the Jesuit Estancias is approximately in length.

Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who would later become Pope Francis, lived there.

See also

List of Jesuit sites

References

External links

Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba - Argentine Tourism Office

Estancias Jesuíticas

Images of the Estancias - Government of Córdoba

Jesuitic institutions in Argentina

Buildings and structures completed in the 17th century

World Heritage Sites in Argentina

Buildings and structures in Córdoba Province, Argentina

Jesuit history in South America

Spanish missions in Argentina

Former populated places in Argentina

Tourist attractions in Córdoba Province, Argentina

1615 establishments in the Spanish Empire