Visit to the Salesian Museum in Rawson

In spite of the fact that there are several venues that preserve the history of the City of Rawson and the progress of this territory, the Salesian Regional Museum teaches visitors about the passing of this order through the region, from their relations with the Tehuelches till the present. Inaugurated in 1941, the museum features eight different sections in one room.

Once inside, the hall presents several objects once owned by the Tehuelche and Mapuche peoples, both first nations that dwelled in this area before the arrival of white men. Furthermore, the central room shows visitors testimonies of the Spanish conquest.

Likewise, objects from the 'Mimosa', the vessel that set sail from the port of Liverpool in 1865 carrying 153 Welsh colonists that would be the first to settle in the region, may be seen in the venue.

The museum boasts a collection of embalmed specimens, pieces of petrified wood, sea intrusion fossils and fish imprints, all of them displayed inside glass cabinets that guarantee their preservation. Visitors may also find the first carts, the ticket punch used by Ferrocarril Central del Chubut (Chubut's Central Railway) and other objects of great historical value, all of them related to the urban development of the city.

The Salesian Regional Museum also preserves the remains of the first temple in the City of Rawson, which was destroyed by a hurricane. The image of the Immaculate Conception, the harmonium, the remains of the first bell and an oil painting featuring Our Lady of Sorrows belong to this part of the local history. A side altar, the confessional booths, images and other sacred art objects, all of them from the second church ever built, are also preserved.

At the end of the tour, visitors may observe a collection of bills, coins and medals, along with an issue of La Cruz del Sur, a newspaper that was printed at the local school press.

The Salesian Regional Museum's perfect finale is the sample of Stones from Patagonia, made up by 33 stones, mostly granite, crafted with the bass-relief technique.