SUSQUES

THE DEPARTMENT OF SUSQUES, JUJUY PROVINCE , HAVE AN EXTENTION APROXIMATE OF 6000 KM2 AND ARROUND 3600 HABITANTS, THE HABITANTS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THE DEPARMENT OF THE SAME NAME, SUSQUES, AFTER THAT ARE COLANZULI, EL TORO , HUANCAR, PUESTO SEY AND PASTOS CHICOS.

THE ORIGEN OF SUSQUES CAN BE SITUATED IN THE ENDING OF THE XVI CENTURY AND BEGINES OF XVII CENTURY, THE POPULATION IS ORIGENARY OF ETNIA ATACAMA, OF THE DESERT OF THE SAME NAME IN CHILE , WITH WHO TRADITIONALY HAVE BUSINESS AND CULTURAL LINKS.

THE FORMER ATACAMA POPULATION WERE THE FARMERS, CULTIVATE CORN, POROTO AND POTATO, THEY PRACTISE THE HUNTING AND THEY WERE A SHEPHERD OF AMERICAN CAMELIDOS. HAD THE TRADITION OF CONSERVE BIG QUANTITI OF MEAL, ADAPTING TO THIS WAY TO LIVE IN THAT HOSTILE ENVIROMENT OF THAT REGION THE PUNA OF ATACAMA. THEY WERE EXELENTS CRAFTSPEOPLE IN STONE, WOOD AND BONE. THE PIROGRABADO IN PUMPKIN WERE ONE OF THEIR ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND THEY HAD POTERRY SKILLS. THE METALURGIST WERE SCARCE.

THEY PRACTICE THE BUSINESS WITH NEIGHBOUR POPULATIONS AS AN OMAGUACAS AND POPULATION OF THE PACIFIC COSTE.

THE FIRST CONTACT WITH THE SPANISH PEOPLE WAS DURING THE CROSS OF DIEGO DE ALMAGRO IN 1535 AND AFTER THAT TO CARE FOR THE PATH TO CHILE .

SUSQUES WASNT TO BE PART OF ANY ENCOMIENDA, BECAUSE IN THE FILE ISNT ANY DOCUMENT WHERE FIGURE THE PAYMENT OF THAT FOR THEY HABITANTS BECAUSE THEY WERE REBELS CONSTANTLY. IN THE STRUCTURE VIROYAL, WAS PART OF CORREGIMIENTO OF ATACAMA AND LIPEZ UNTIL BEGINES OF XVII CENTURY WHEN JUST DEPEND OF ATACAMA WITH CAPITAL IN SAN PEDRO. UNTIL 1776 DEPENDS OF THE ROYAL AUDIENCIA OF CHARCAS (VIROYAL OF PERU ), AFTER THE CREATION OF VIROYAL OF RIO DE LA PLATA , PASS TO BE PART OF THE POTOSI PROVINCE .

DURING THE WAR FOR THE INDEPENDENCE (1810-1821) SUSQUES PASS TO DEPEND OF THE SALTA PROVINCE BUT WHEN THE INDEPENDENCE OF BOLIVIA WAS DECLARE, IT ADD TO THE NEW COUNTRY WITH AN OLD CORREGIMIENTO OF ATACAMA, CONTINUE THEIR INDEPENDENCE ADMINISTRATIVE OF POTOSI .

IN THE END OF THE WAR OF PACIFIC WITH CHILE (1879), THAT TERRITORY INCORPORATE TO CHILE WITH A POPULATION OF 300 HABITANTS WICH CONTINUES DEDICATE TO THE SHEPHERDING AND THEIR LANGUAJE WERE THE QUECHUA (PERUVIAN) AND CUNZA (ATACAMENIAN)

BETWEN 1898 AND 1899 OCURRE SOME DIPLOMATIC AGREEMENT BETWEEN 3 COUNTRIES, FIRST BOLIVIA , WITHOUT SPLIT, GIVED TO ARGENTINA THE RIGION OF THE PUNA F ATACAMA AND RECEIVED THE PROVINCES OF TARIJA AND AFTER THAT CHILE ACEPT THE JUDGEMENT OF THE UNITED STATED WHERE IT HAS GIVED THE REGION OF LITIGIO TO ARGENTINA .

IN 1900, ARGENTINA CREATE THE NEW COUNTRY OR LOS ANDES REGION WHERE SUSQUES WERE ONE DEPARMENT WITH PASTOS GRANDES AND ANTOFAGASTA DE LA SIERRA THEN IN 1943 THIS REGION DISMEMBER AND SUSQUES GOING TO BE PART OF JUJUY PROVINCE, PASTOS GRANDES CONSTITUTED SALTA PROVINCE AND ANTOFAGASTA DE LA SIERRA SHAPE A TERRITORY OF CATAMARCA PROVINCE.

THE CHURCH OF SUSQUES

IT WAS BUILT AT ENDING OF XVI CENTURY, BUT IS BUILT COMPLETLY IN ADOBE WITH CARDON WOOD, ON IS THE COVER WITH STRAW. IT HAS ONE NAVE AND THE OUT ATRIO HAS TREE DOOR WITH FOUR CHAPELS FOR THE PROCESSION.

THE PATRON OF THE CHURCH OF NUESTRA SEÑORA OF BELEN , SOMEONES SAY THAT WAS FINDED FOR THE OLD INHABITANT UNDER SOMES BIG STONES BEHIND THE CHURCH.

THE PATRONAL CELEBRATION IS ON 23 OF JANUARY.

THE FRONT OF THE ALTAR ITS BUILD WITH STONE AND ADOBE, MORTAR OF STRAW AND MUD. THE PLASTER WAS USED TO PREPARE THE WALL TO PAINT THERE. SURROUND ALL INTERNAL WALL ARE DECORATION WITH FLOWERS AND SOME ELEMENTS WITH A SAME FORM. THE ROOF HAS TIGHT TIED WITH RAW LEATHER. THE CHURCH HAS A COMPACT LAND FLOOR.

ON THE NAVE SIDE WALLS ARE 15 PICTURES OF SAINTS. EIGHT OF THEY HAVE FRAMES WITH FLOWERS FORM AND SIX NOT HAVE FRAME. IN THE CHURCH IS AND OLD FASHIONED PIANO OF TUBE MADE WITH HANDMADE WOOD, THAT HAD USE TO CELEBRATE THE MASS.

THE CHURCH WAS DECLARING NATIONAL HISTORIC MONUMENT IN 1943, BUT AS A MOST OF CHURCH OF THE NORTH OF ARGENTINA , SUBSIST AND KEEP WITH A VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION OF THE POPLE WHO ASSIST TO THE MASS AND TOURISTS.