Alta Gracia: Jesuit Heritage, Museums and Nature

Alta Gracia brings together a defining Jesuit history with museums and nature experiences. The historic centre is home to the Estancia Jesuítica de Alta Gracia, while the Arroyo Chicamtoltina crosses the city from northwest to southeast. Culture, water and walks can add different dimensions to your trip, depending on what you would most like to discover in Alta Gracia.

Jesuit History and an Exceptional Waterworks

The Estancia Jesuítica de Alta Gracia dates back to 1643. It is one of the five Jesuit estancias in Córdoba that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site. Its residence houses the Museo Nacional Estancia Jesuítica de Alta Gracia y Casa del Virrey Liniers. If you are interested in the history of the estancia, you can make this one of the main focuses of your stay.

Alta Gracia’s waterworks history is also part of what makes the city distinctive. A tajamar designed by Juan Krauss near the estancia was fed by irrigation channels. The water supplied hydraulic power to two grain mills and a fulling mill, and was also used to irrigate fruit and vegetable gardens. El Tajamar was built by the Jesuits in 1659 and is considered the oldest artificial dam in Córdoba Province. Today, it is considered a meeting place for families and a place to relax.

Museums, Homes and Local Events

Villa Nydia was designated as cultural heritage by the city administration and acquired by it in November 2000. It opened as the Museo Casa Ernesto Che Guevara on 14 July 2001. The Museo Casa del Che displays photographs of the various homes where the Guevara de la Serna family lived during their stay in Alta Gracia from 1932 to 1943. At La Peña, Gabriel Dubois, who lived there with his family from 1932, established Alta Gracia’s first sculpture art studio. The Museo Manuel de Falla is located in the Chalet Los Espinillos, where the composer spent the final phase of his life.

The Museo Arqueológico Municipal offers another perspective: it displays materials from the period before the Spanish conquest in parts of the Sierras Centrales, as well as materials relating to the first contacts between Spaniards and Indigenous peoples. Its collection tells the story of the Indigenous peoples of the surrounding area; education is one of the museum’s central aims. If you want to explore the city’s cultural heritage in greater depth, you can follow different interests through Jesuit history, biographies and archaeology.

The Mes Aniversario de Falla takes place in November and features concerts, theatre, film screenings and other events in honour of Manuel de Falla. The traditional Peperina food festival is held during Holy Week and offers cooking classes for all age groups. These events offer a different focus from a museum visit: music and performing arts take centre stage at the Falla festival, while Peperina celebrates food and cooking together.

Exploring the Arroyo Chicamtoltina

The Arroyo Chicamtoltina is characterised by clear, calm water and surroundings with dense, leafy trees that provide shade. You can walk along its banks. This lets you add some time outdoors to your stay, without making the cultural sights its only focus. As you plan your holiday, you can decide whether you want to discover Alta Gracia mainly for the estancia and its history, its various museums, an event or walks along the riverbank. These interests can help you choose the right focus for your trip and find a holiday rental in Alta Gracia.

Other places at the same level are La Bolsa, José de la Quintana, Villa Anisacate, Malagueño, Villa Serranita, San Antonio De Arredondo and Villa San Nicolás.

For the overview of the wider area: Santa María Department.