Piriapolis
33 images Created 26 Dec 2014
The Argentino Hotel in Piriapolis, a resort dedicated to thalassotherapy in Uruguay, is one of the highlights of the legacy of Francisco Piria, an Italian immigrant that started as a young dreamer with no cent in his pockets and become one of the richest man of this South American country. Born in 1848, Piria began a small auction shop in Montevideo market, but soon lost almost everything due a fire destroying the place. Restarted with a clothes shop in downtown, He did well and jumped to buy lands, develop a district, and sell the parcels. It´s believed that he created a hundred neighborhoods of what is the modern Montevideo.
In 1890 he bought a large piece of land in the East of the shore, 96 kilometers from Montevideo, and created an entire city, later known as Piriapolis where he built the Argentino Hotel. Devoted to alchemy and masonry, Piria left signs of his belives in all his buildings, including huge and historical ones like the now seat of Justice Supreme Court of Uruguay.
Piria tried to made a version of Piriapolis in the opposite shore of the Rio de la Plata, in the Argentine city of Ensenada. Local bureaucracy created so many barriers that , even if he bought the land and built a castle, was forced to abandon the project.
Never feeling defeated, Piria inaugurated the magnificient Argentino Hot el in 1930, few years before dying at the age of 98.
His success as businessman never translated as good luck in politics. He tried several Uruguay political parties , he founded his own party Democratic Union. In his only presidential candidacy in 1919 Piria got just 600 votes.
Our photographer Gato Herdener visited this amazing hotel and brought us this views
In 1890 he bought a large piece of land in the East of the shore, 96 kilometers from Montevideo, and created an entire city, later known as Piriapolis where he built the Argentino Hotel. Devoted to alchemy and masonry, Piria left signs of his belives in all his buildings, including huge and historical ones like the now seat of Justice Supreme Court of Uruguay.
Piria tried to made a version of Piriapolis in the opposite shore of the Rio de la Plata, in the Argentine city of Ensenada. Local bureaucracy created so many barriers that , even if he bought the land and built a castle, was forced to abandon the project.
Never feeling defeated, Piria inaugurated the magnificient Argentino Hot el in 1930, few years before dying at the age of 98.
His success as businessman never translated as good luck in politics. He tried several Uruguay political parties , he founded his own party Democratic Union. In his only presidential candidacy in 1919 Piria got just 600 votes.
Our photographer Gato Herdener visited this amazing hotel and brought us this views
