Monk's tower in Mar del Plata

Did you enjoy life in the Argentine resort of Mar del Plata and have not visited the Monk’s Tower? It is so wrong!

This lovely building is more than 100 years old. But it looks like it is 500. It is not about its bad condition but its fame. Monk's Tower - Torreon del Monje – is an example of how a fictional story turns to be real.

So, at the beginning of the 20th century, Mar del Plata became one of the most popular resorts in Argentina. The city was developing and flourishing. The nobility was building summer residences, not forgetting to take care of the city.

One of these people was a wealthy impresario and landowner Ernesto Tornquist. He had money and imagination. He liked this city. He decided to install a gazebo looking like a European castle on the ocean board. Tornquist did not postpone his idea. He asked the architect Carlos Nordmann to design the tower. The company of Jose Fontana, a designer of Italian origin, erected the tower in 1904.

Tornquist adored fiction. It was not enough for him to offer the city just a tower. He had talents and came up with one legend. It made Torreon del Monje the legendary landmark of Mar del Plata.

Tornquist invented one story. He said that he read it in the chronicle of 1695. It was nice but not true. Actually, he read the story of Alberto del Solar and liked it.

This legend says that a Spanish fortress built by Ernesto Tornero's father was built on the site of Torreon del Monje. It was guarded by soldiers. One of them fell in love with an Indian girl. But she had to marry the leader. The love story ended tragically. The girl drowned in the ocean.  As you understand – it did not happen. But the dramatic story was accepted. It impresses visitors a lot.