Discover Yavi: Colonial History and Architecture

Yavi’s townscape can be understood through its colonial history and the town’s architectural forms. In the second half of the 17th century, Yavi emerged as the center of the colonial hacienda of the same name, which was devoted primarily to agriculture and livestock raising. Small areas of farmland still exist within the town, although they have become smaller over the past decades.

Colonial History and Architectural Forms

Toward the end of the 17th century, Juan José Fernández Campero y Herrera and Juana Clemencia Bernáldez de Obando had Yavi’s present-day church built as a palace chapel. The interior of the 24-meter-long chapel and the 10-meter-long Capilla de Ánimas preserve an almost intact Baroque ensemble, including the pulpit, altarpieces, images and paintings. Altarpieces are structures placed behind altars; together with the other elements, they shape the Baroque character of the chapel’s interior.

The layout of the historic center also provides a sense of orientation. It stood on the edge of the Río de Casti and was arranged around two buildings associated with the colonial hacienda. Their placement formed an outer square that engaged in a spatial dialogue with the chapel’s forecourt. The facades of the houses face predominantly toward the street. Behind them are courtyards, accessed through entrance halls known as zaguanes. As you look at the buildings, you can distinguish the street-facing facade, the passageway and the courtyard beyond.

Experience Yavi on Foot

A walk along the wide streets is one of the best ways to experience Yavi. Along the way, you can look at houses made of adobe and straw, the town’s most common building materials. The small areas of farmland within Yavi add to this townscape; they are a distinct part of today’s settlement, even though their area has decreased over the past decades.

Visitors can take part in rural work carried out by Yavi’s residents, who also show visitors how it is done.

Good Friday Tradition

On Good Friday, the Doctrinas come to Yavi from places such as Inti Cancha, Suripugio and Yavi Chico. Along the way, they sing and recite the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary. The tradition is thus tied to a specific religious occasion and differs from a walk focused primarily on the town’s streets and houses. If you are interested in religious customs, this observance offers another perspective on Yavi.

More to Explore in the Wider Yavi Destination

The wider Yavi destination also includes distinct places and landscapes beyond Yavi’s townscape. In Yavi Chico, petroglyphs along the riverbanks attest to settlement dating back to around 900 AD; the pre-Hispanic settlement of Antigal de Yavi Chico is also located there. Antigal lies opposite Yavi Chico, across the Río Yavi Chico, and includes ancient graves. It is about a 15-minute walk away. Check local trail conditions before visiting.

La Quiaca hosts the Manka Fiesta, also known as the “Fiesta de las ollas” (“Festival of the Pots”). Its origins date back to the time before Inca rule in the 15th century; it is considered Argentina’s oldest Andean fair and forms part of a trading circuit between northern Jujuy and southern Bolivia. In this barter trade, wool, meat, seeds, herbs, dried fruit and flour, as well as industrially produced and handmade goods, change hands. Bartering continues; today, the festival is also associated with entertainment and cultural heritage.

The landscape is another part of the wider destination. The Yavi microregion lies in the Argentine Puna, a relatively flat high plateau above 3,200 meters, crossed by mountain ranges from northeast to southeast. The Monumento Natural Laguna de los Pozuelos is designated a biosphere reserve and a Ramsar site. Its conservation goals include protecting Argentina’s largest Puna wetland and its diverse birdlife, including flamingos and migratory wading birds.

For the wider travel overview: Yavi.