Martes a Sabado y Feriados de 09:00 a 14:00 hs y de 17:00 a 22:00 hs –  Domingos de 17:00 a 22:00hs            

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  • TEXTILE HALL

    “The textile industrywas organised on the basis ofindigenous labour, of which there were huge reserves in the Americas. In Santiago del Estero, the industry was exclusively based on cotton, which was originally used by the Spanish conquerors as their main industrial resource” (Orestes Di Lullo).

    The rapid growth of the cities and the development of the mining centres, in particular the mining region of Potosí, led to the establishment of textile and fulling mills in the XVI century.These mills, in the hands of the conquerors, wreaked terrible damage for the Indigenous population, as a result of the exploitation to which they were subjected. The church was not alien to both manufacturing and trading. The Bishop of Victoria, the first bishop in Argentinean territory in Santiago del Estero, was one of the founders of the first mills.

    This situation, which led to a significant decrease in the native population, caused the first ordinances to be issued, in an attempt to regulate the work in the mills and keep the greed of the commissioners in check, to protect the Indigenous community.

    In 1587, Fray Francisco de Victoria sent a textile shipment from Santiago del Estero to the port of Buenos Aires, to be sent to Brazil. It departed from the port on September 2nd that year, an event that was recorded as the first Argentine export and the beginning of international trade in the country. Thus, Argentineans commemorate“ Industry Day” every September 2nd.

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