Yapeyú, Corrientes
Encyclopedia
Yapeyú is a town in the province
of Corrientes
, Argentina
, in the San Martín Department
. It has about 2,000 inhabitants as per the , and it is known throughout the country because it was the birthplace of General José de San Martín
(1778–1850), hero of the War of Independence
.
and means "ripe fruit"; in other times, it was also the name of the river that is called today Guaviraví
. Presbyter Eduardo J. Maldonado considers it a combination of the guaraní words "Yaye" ("The place where") and "Peyú" ("blowing of the wind"). Under this perspective, "Yapeyú" would mean in guaraní language "The place where the wind blows".
Pedro Romero, who gave it the name Villa de Nuestra Señora de los Santos Reyes Magos y Yapeyú. The town was one of the 30 missions established at the beginning of the 17th century that were destroyed in 1817 by the Portuguese
army. The city was later rebuilt, and the ruins of the little fortress, which at the end of the 18th century had been the home of Lt. Juan de San Martín and his wife, Gregoria Matorras, were preserved.
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Corrientes
Corrientes Province
Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by : Paraguay, the province of Misiones, Brazil, Uruguay, and the provinces of Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco.-History:...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, in the San Martín Department
San Martín Department, Corrientes
San Martín Department is a department of Corrientes Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 12,236 inhabitants in an area of 6,385 km², and its capital city is La Cruz.-Settlements:*Colonia Carlos Pellegrini*Guaviraví...
. It has about 2,000 inhabitants as per the , and it is known throughout the country because it was the birthplace of General José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
(1778–1850), hero of the War of Independence
Argentine War of Independence
The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...
.
Etymology
The word Yapeyú comes from the Guaraní languageGuaraní language
Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...
and means "ripe fruit"; in other times, it was also the name of the river that is called today Guaviraví
Guaviraví River
Guaviraví River is a river in Corrientes Province, Argentina. It flows into Uruguay River. It once was called Yapeyú River....
. Presbyter Eduardo J. Maldonado considers it a combination of the guaraní words "Yaye" ("The place where") and "Peyú" ("blowing of the wind"). Under this perspective, "Yapeyú" would mean in guaraní language "The place where the wind blows".
History
The town was founded on December 4, 1626 by the JesuitSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
Pedro Romero, who gave it the name Villa de Nuestra Señora de los Santos Reyes Magos y Yapeyú. The town was one of the 30 missions established at the beginning of the 17th century that were destroyed in 1817 by the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
army. The city was later rebuilt, and the ruins of the little fortress, which at the end of the 18th century had been the home of Lt. Juan de San Martín and his wife, Gregoria Matorras, were preserved.