Buenas Aires ~ 1567

     The city of Buenas Aires was founded twice. In 1535 it was founded by Pedro de Mendoza. Ulrich Schmidl, who accompanied de Mendoza, wrote “In 1535 we arrived on Riodellaplata, and found an Indian village of about 2000 people named Zechurias. There we built a new town and called it Bonas Aeieres....” The town declined and the survivors went up river to the fortified settlement of Asunción. Juan de Garay refounded the town with the name, Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Aire in 1580.
     The plan that is reproduced on the stamp is included in Schmidl’s account of his life in South America, Warhafftige und liebliche Beschreibung etlicher fürnemen Indianischen Landtschafften und Insulen...., 1567.

     The plan tells a story. Three men stole a horse and ate it. They were tortured. They confessed and were hanged. The next night three other men cut off pieces of their bodies and ate them to overcome their hunger. The three are seen in the upper right stealing the horse, then within the walls of the town killing and butchering the animal. Finally, on the right side, in the middle, the men have been hanged and their bodies are being dismembered by others who are hungry. Later writers doubted the truth of the story.

Buenas Aires

     The stamps show various examples of cartography of the Buenos Aires area. Clockwise from the upper left: América meridional, planisferio de Arques, Pierre Descalliers, 1546. Estuario del Rio de la Plata, Claes Voogt, 17th century. Desembocadura del Riachuelo y pto. de Bs. Aires. Vista satelital (Opening of the river and port of Buenos Aires. Satellite view) , I.G.M.A., 1999. Buenos Aires, Avellaneda y alred, I.G.M.A., 1910.