"Puna of Jujuy Argentine Northwest" "Perhaps you know that here lived the Marquis family whose name was Fernández Campero" "They were Spaniards who lived here Owners of the whole Yavi" "They had this church built" "Our church is beautiful" "This is for holy water." "An indigenous craft." "Seems made of stone." "The confessional is also that old." "Still in use." "Also this beautiful picture:" "Christ's bautism at the Jordan River" "Carved in wood, with golden lamination" "There's a Latin incription" "At the end of it, the date of the church's opening: 1690" "But they began it at least 30 or 40 years before." "Our church is easily 300 years old." "Look at this pulpit: all wood and golden lamination" "Those little faces of wood." "All hand-made in those times." "Work of Indians guided by Jesuit priests." "Up there, an angel." "And the dove, the Holy Ghost to inspire the priest when he preaches." "I watch the church since 21 years ago." "I clean, fix the altar, wash the altar cloths" "There were three generations of Marquis." "Spaniard, noble, owners of Yavi and much more." "The fist Marquis:" "Juan José Fernández Campero." "The Marquise:" "Juana Clemencia Ovando de Campero." "Very rich and Spaniard." "Since they owned Yavi, they fought for our cause in the Independence War years." "I was born in Yavi, the first important town of Argentine´s North" "La Quiaca still didn´t exist." "This was the only passage to Alto Perú (actual Bolivia)" "All those pictures are old." "Oil painting from the Cuzco school." "A missing picture, that we didn't even get to know, was a beautiful portrait of the Marquess couple." "What could ever happen to it?" "We know for sure that it was here, in our church." "Lots of old things got lost, and I didn´t get to know them." "I don't hand the keys to anyone, so now the church is well-guarded." "Thank God, nothing gets lost now." "I take care of everything here." "Look:" "I, myself, never get bored of admiring the altars." "Sometimes I discover new details." "I will show you a beautiful tabernacle." "Look at it:" "it's unique, all hand-made, those angel faces." "San Roque doesn't wear a hat." "But the devotees gave it to him, so we leave it there." "He is the patron saint of sick people." "He's covered with relics left by the people." "Those with an ill lung leave a lung." "Rheumatics leave legs, heart patients a heart." "At the main altar there is Virgen del Rosario, the town's patron." "At the left side, San Francisco de Asís, the church's patron." "Look at his face, the expression of it." "People of the neararounds are very much devotees of him" "They come and say: "Look, Miss, I've lost this or that"" "And they pray with zeal to San Francisco, who is miracuolous." "Then they come and leave that coin in the skull." "I don't know why." "Some months later they come back:" ""Look, Miss, I've found what I had lost"" "Then they take back the coin." "The Patron saint's day is on October's first Sunday" "San Francisco's day is October the 4th." "Those are the town's main festivals." "Then comes the Holy Week, very beautiful." "The tradition is kept." "Many "doctrinas" come from far away." "From Suripugio, Inticancha, 25 or 30 kms. away." "They carry paper lamps of every colour." "Very pretty." "In it, a candle." "They come here around 7 PM." "They come into the church to sing and pray." "Every year I like it more." "And I can imagine how much the first-timers must like it." "translated by fedocable"