| What makes it historical? |
This colegio takes it name from a statue of Mary in Catalonia’s Santa Maria de Montserrat monastery! It was founded in 1687 by Jesuit priest, Father Ignacio Duarte Quirós, who donated his property to build it! It opened as a boys-only boarding school on April 10, 1695 and stayed that way until 1767 when the king of Spain kicked all the Jesuits out of Spanish colonies and replaced them with the Franciscans!
In the process of kicking out the Jesuits, the colegio moved from Father Quirós’ house to its current location, then was secularized in 1807, becoming the Royal University of San Carlos and Our Lady of Montserrat! After Argentina won independence from Spain, the colegio was left under provincial control during a period of civil wars and instability, then was nationalized in 1854 under the new Republic of Argntina. The school was then converted from a boarding school to a secondary school, annexed to the main University Nacional, and as recently as 1993, became a co-ed center of learning! |
