Life Stories at the Vintter Museum

The thriving City of General Roca today looks dynamic and with a strong productive profile. However, its Historical Regional Museum reminds everyone of its stressed respect for those colonists who gave life and strength to its origins.

Back in 1950, this highly regarded museum opened its doors hand in hand with educator Manuel José Félix Arenaza, who worked together with an enthusiastic group of collaborators to gather valuable material that gives evidence of the most outstanding local historical moments.

That beloved museum was moved from one building to another until it finally ended up in its present location. Today, there is a permanent show of all the documents and elements that could be rescued from the past. Starting with the first nations up to the first settlers of the pastoral colony, there are many objects in exhibition.

As we entered its rooms, we observed tapestry, arrow points and other tools typically used by the natives. Likewise, there are suits worn by troops and soldiers of the Argentinian army in the days of the Desert Campaign. The next surprise was to see the ancient vehicles used in the countryside and the machinery of the farms, with which men used to perform rural tasks.

Some documents and photographs might have required a more detailed reading in order to appreciate the primitive ancient life and everything these people managed to achieve out of effort and will.

Thus, outfits, coin and stamp collections, radio sets or farm equipment gave us a complete idea of this lifestyle so different from the way we live today. It is amazing to see how many important events have taken place so far and how much progress has been made as far as production is concerned thanks to these progressive men.

First Settlers, Encounter of Two Worlds, General Roca’s Campaign, Ancient Roca and City Festival are the names given to the rooms, according to what is displayed at each of them.

General Lorenzo Vintter was a career military man. He was well-known in the area for having been the second and last governor of Patagonia, from 1882 to 1884.

Like every museum, it left us the flavor of understanding the rich past of Alto Valle (High Valley) a little better and especially the facts that turned Roca into a new city with history to tell.