Pigüé is a town of Argentine located in the Pampa, to 584 km in the south-west of Buenos Aires, founded by Occitans of Aveyron. It currently counts 13  822 inhabitants.

Geography

Pigüé, which means gathering place in language Mapuche, is located at the intersection of two assembly lines, the Cura Malal in the west and the Bravard in the east.

History

History in short

Clement Cabanettes, born in 1851 in the small village of Ambec Common of Lassouts close to Saint-Like-with Olt, in the department of Aveyron, gathers in 1881 forty families disinherited of the valley of Olt (called today Lot), around Espalion (Aurelle-Verlac, Saint-Obstruct-with Olt, Gabriac, Naucelle…) that he convinces to exile himself towards Argentina. October 23rd, 1884 they leave Rodez by train and embark the October 24th on the Vapeur/veils Belgrano which starts from Bordeaux direction the South America. They reach the Nouveau World and Buenos Aires the November 30th, then Pigüé the 3 and December 4th. The Colonie of Aveyronnais knew to become, in spite of a difficult and ruinous departure, one of most prosperous of the pampa.

The project of Cabanettes

The Sous-lieutenant Cabanettes had been engaged to ensure the drive and the instruction of Argentinas troops. The year according to, it developed the first telephone company of the country: El Pan Teléfono (known also under the name of the Pantelefonica ) but resigned for mutual incompatibility with its leaders. He moved towards Olavarría to work in a company manufacturing of the agricultural machines. The government of the province of Buenos Aires sells 270 square kilometers for a bread mouthful to him in thanks of the rendered services. Cabanettes falls immediately in love with the place which points out its native Aubrac to him, and thinks at once of bringing to it of Aveyronnais to colonize it. With the assistance of his/her friend Eduardo Casey, Cabanettes manages so that a station is added on its ground to the railway line of Ferro Southern Carril, and that a large silo and residences are built for its colonists.

Terms of the contract

Cabanettes turns over to Aveyron, where his/her friend François Issaly already began the promotion of the colony. It offers two square kilometers of arable land for six years provided that half of harvest is transferred at the community. At the end of this period, the colonists receive a document of title, whatever the quantity of cereals divided by then. A contribution of five thousand frank is required for the cattle, the seeds and agricultural machinery, contribution which is not always completely paid, which will increase the debts of Cabanettes towards Casey. Because of the unemployment rate raised in Aveyron following the massive dismissals in the mines of Decazeville, and with the crisis of the Phylloxéra (1882-1890), the idea of Cabanettes arouses an unquestionable interest. However the press aveyronnaise is hostile with the project of Cabanettes, showing it to exploit the misery of people in a project depicts at the time like dangerous because of the wild animals of the area. Despite everything, Cabanettes succeeds in convincing 163 Aveyronnais to follow it.

First steps of the colonists

The colonists, among whom are a teacher, a blacksmith, a Charron, a priest and a tradesman, start to settle in Pigüé. The first harvest is rather disappointing; the agricultural techniques used, the same ones as in Aveyron, are not adapted to the pampa from which the relief, the ground and the climate are very different. The second year is still worse with a dryness from March to the end of September. Happily, the strong rains of Automne allow the potato and corn seedlings to push sufficiently to ensure a thin but salutary harvest. However, the colonists do not leave and keep the faith; others still join them. is worth It well all the sacrifices , write some in their letters. Mr Cabanettes cannot be marked to have promised more butter than of bread .

End of the Utopia for Cabanettes

At the end of the third year, Cabanettes cannot refund Casey, but it obtains a one year deferment from his friend. But twelve months afterwards, Pigüé still does not make receipt and Casey decides initially, as the contract stipulates it, of réapproprier all the grounds. However, it changes opinion and prefers to give 50.000 pesos moreover to Cabanettes, erasing its slate to him consequently occasion. Colony, which has problems to develop although its livestock of bovines exceeds from now on the number of its sheep, is a failure. The government of Buenos Aires finally repurchases it at the price of the open area without very considering the cultures and the buildings installed above. Cabanettes finds without the penny nor glory. Casey and die to him even poorer than certain families of settlers, but after their having returned the hope. Their generosity and their blind perseverance all the same ensured still today the survival of a short period of Aveyron in Argentina.

Other striking facts of the history

• In 1858, the battle of Pi-Hooted sees the final victory of the troops of colonel Nicolás Granada on the indigenous tribes, directed by the legendary chief Juan Callvucura, which lived on the ground of what will become Pigüé some thirty years later.

• In 1876, the battle of Cleaned Malal between colonel El Salvador Maldonado and the chief Juan Jose Catriel seals the destiny of indigenous resistance in the area and the triumph of Maldonado involves the construction of many military forts.
• In 1878, a decision of the national government orders to the lieutenant-colonel Plaza Montero to yield 3.000 square kilometers of its grounds in the zone of Pigüé for the establishment of farms.
• In 1882, Plaza Montero sells its concession with a British group whose representative in Argentina is not other than Eduardo Casey. The company is renamed the Cleaned-Malal
• In 1898, a group of farmers of Pigüé, dissatisfied with the weak financial equalizations granted by the insurance companies of the capital, decides to be linked and become their own insurers, in particular against the Grêle. Thus is born the first co-operative from Argentina, and even from Latin America.
• It is in Pigüé that the first conscription of the Republic of Argentina takes place.
• the following waves of immigrants will include/understand Italian, Spanish , then German of the Volga.

Personalities related to the commune

• Clement Cabanettes, his founder.

• Eduardo Casey
• Numa Ayrinhac, occitano-Argentinian artist famous for his portraits of Eva and Juan Domingo Perón, is originating in Pigüé. One of its portraits depicts the couple together, which represents a first in Argentina.

Twinning

Many current inhabitants of Pigüé continue to speak or include/understand the Occitan, and the streets of the city often bear the name of localities of the country rouergat, the such fixes of Rodez . Each year, on December 4th, one celebrates there the foundation of the colony by the diaspora aveyronnaise. Some 30 to 40% of the population of today has Languedocien roots, that is to say more than 5.000 hearts. An association based with Saint-Like-in Olt, called Rouergue-Pigüé makes it possible to preserve bonds. The professors of history of Aveyron teach the emigration towards the pampa.

External bonds

• Official site of the city

• Pigüé, a lugar of encuentro
• the site of association Rouergue-Pigüé
• Little story of Pigüé]
• and the site of the tourist bureau
• El correo of the Argentinian Diaspora
• the Alliance Fran1caise of Pigüe

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