Monumento a Francisco Narciso Laprida, Historical monument in San José de Jachal, Argentina.
The Monumento a Francisco Narciso Laprida is a white Carrara marble figure carved by Lola Mora in 1906–1907, standing on the Plaza General San Martín in San José de Jachal. It shows Laprida young and beardless, in the dress of his era, with folds of his stockings carved in detail. It belonged to Mora's four-figure set Conjunto Cuatro Presidentes.
The sculpture was first placed in a congressional building in 1907 before being relocated to San Juan Province in 1930. A major earthquake struck the region in 1944, but the statue survived this event and was moved to its current location in San José de Jachal in 1951.
Lola Mora sculpted Laprida in his youth, without the mustache he wore later, and the marble is detailed enough to show the folds of his stockings. The figure belongs to the "Conjunto Cuatro Presidentes", a group of four works honoring Facundo Zuviría, Carlos María de Alvear, Mariano Fragueiro and Laprida, split up and sent to the provinces the men came from.
The statue faces the central square of San José de Jachal, on Plaza General San Martín, where it can be viewed at any hour from the open plaza. The 2005 restoration, coordinated by the National University of San Juan, the University of Tucumán and the municipality, also reinforced the pedestal against the frequent earthquakes of the region.
The sculpture was created by Lola Mora, a respected artist who produced several major monuments across Argentina. An interesting detail is that Laprida is shown without the mustache he later became known for, giving the work a distinctive historical portrait quality.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,635 contributors worldwide.