Lesam Park

Lesama Park is a large park that was built in a place where aristocrats often gathered, as well as a residence owned by Don Gregorio Lesama and his family. Lesama Park is located in the old district of Buenos Aires, San Telmo. It lies on a high hill, which a hundred years ago was the bank of the river La Plata.

In the XVI-XVIII century there was a prison for slaves brought by the Royal Philippine Company. After Argentina gained its independence, the territory was sold to private hands. In 1857, the land was bought by Gregorio Jose Lesama and his wife Angela. From Europe, they discharged a well-known specialist in park design and collected various exotic plants from around the world to plant here. Soon this private park became the most beautiful in Buenos Aires.

After Gregorio Lesam's death in 1897, his widow sold the park for a nominal fee to the municipality of Buenos Aires, but with two conditions that the park should only be public and accessible to all, and the park should bear the name Gregorio Lesama.

These days, giant acacia grow on eight hectares of this old park. To the sky stretch spreading magnolias with their large glossy, similar to artificial leaves. Through the thinned crowns of plane trees shine in the sun sky blue domes of the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, on Brasil Avenue.

In the novel by the famous Argentine writer Ernesto Sabato “On Heroes and Their Graves”, the main action takes place in this park.