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Painting of a horse-drawn stagecoach crossing the plains

Program · Research

Cañada de Rocha

The area around Lo de Urriza was a relay post on the Camino Real and witnessed founding events in the history of Luján and Argentina. We research it so it can be known and valued.

Historical record

The relay post on the colonial map

This old map of the Luján area shows the streams, the ranches of the time and, marked by the arrow, the Cañada de Rocha relay post beside the stream that gave it its name.

Hand-drawn colonial map of the Luján area with streams in blue, ranches marked with red dots and an arrow pointing to the Cañada de Rocha relay post
Detail of a hand-drawn colonial map. The arrow marks the "Posta" on the Rocha stream; below centre, the town of Luján. Tap the image to enlarge it.

Why it matters

A crossroads in the humid pampas

Lo de Urriza sits in Cañada de Rocha, near the Luján River, which gathers many of the streams of the region. In prehistoric times it was home to Pampid hunter-gatherers.

The Camino Real, the royal road, crossed it: the mandatory route between the port of Buenos Aires, Upper Peru (today Bolivia) and Lima, and later between the capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and the interior. It roughly followed today's Route 9, and its branch to Cuyo followed Route 7.

Infographic showing the Camino Real route from the port of Buenos Aires to Upper Peru and Lima
The route from the port to Upper Peru: the Camino Real linked Buenos Aires with Córdoba, Potosí and Lima. Tap the image to enlarge it.

The relay post

Next to the ford across the stream stood the Cañada de Rocha relay post: the first after Luján and the sixth from Buenos Aires, starting at today's Rivadavia Avenue. At Luján travellers had to show papers, as it worked as an inland customs post.

At the relay posts, stagecoach horses were changed and travellers found food and rest before continuing their journey.

Drawing of a stagecoach pulled by two horses
Stagecoaches travelled the Camino Real from post to post.

Where the name comes from

In the 16th century Juan de Garay granted land up to the Luján River, and later governors kept granting land on both banks. The 1635 survey already names Antonio de Rocha, possibly Portuguese, as a landowner here: the stream, and then the area, took his name.

The Estancia de la Virgen

Ana de Matos donated land for the chapel of the Virgin of Luján, and also the Cañada de Rocha lands to support it. They became known as the "Estancia de la Virgen". In 1755 the town of Luján was founded next to the chapel.

Illustration of a country man on a cart loaded with furniture and belongings, followed by a dog
Illustration by Florencio Molina Campos. Life of the people of the plains.

Timeline

  1. PrehistoryPampid hunter-gatherer peoples.
  2. 16th centuryJuan de Garay grants land up to the Luján River.
  3. 1635Antonio de Rocha first appears in a land survey.
  4. Colonial eraCañada de Rocha relay post on the Camino Real.
  5. 1755The town of Luján is founded.
  6. 1881Carlos Keen is founded.
  7. 1887Buenos Aires to Pacific railway and Urriza's store.
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