Santa Rosa de Lima Boarding School

Located at the intersection of San Luis and General Acha streets
Cultural Secretariat Tel. No.: 0264-4214189
Mondays through Fridays from 4 o 7p.m.

This institution operates in the house where Friar Justo Santa María de Oro was born. Santa María de Oro was Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's (1811-88, Argentine writer, educator, and political leader: president 1868-74) uncle on his mothers side of the family. The museum has one large hall that occupies the same room where this illustrious citizen and member of the religious order was born, and it was founded by Sarmiento on July 9, 1839. In 1876, the Dominican friars organized a school here that is still working. The museum harbors the petrified heart of Friar Justo Santa María de Oro. The petrification process was performed in 1964 using the Friedrich method. Until then and for a period of over 100 years the heart was kept in formaldehyde. Also on exhibition is a Bible written in Latin and dating from 1730 that belonged to his teacher, Remigio Alabarracin. There are numerous 18th century books on display with handcrafted binding, sewn by hand and with leather covers. Fray Justo Santa María de Oro was the first bishop of San Juan.

San Juan
San Juan, capital of the province of San Juan, was shaken by an earthquake in 1944 and was rebuilt on a modern design with a large number of parks and promenades. It lies 1,050km. away from the city of Buenos Aires along national routes No.7 (up to the city of San Luis) and 147. Another alternative is to travel up to Mendoza and then take route No.40 up to San Juan. The city harbors the natal homes of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Fray Justo Santa María de Oro. The province has important tourist attractions, the most traditional of which is known as the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley).