Gauchillos

"Gauchillos" follows the footsteps of Gauchito Gil and San La Muerte, two of many folk saints not recognized by the Roman Catholic Church but who are venerated in Argentina.

Gauchito Gil was allegedly born in the area of Mercedes, Corrientes, around the 1840s and died on January 8, 1878. He became a mystical symbol of bravery, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. The book includes evocative pictures of the pilgrims, the prayer centers, those saved or cured by miracles, and the gauchos arriving on horses in Mercedes to celebrate the death of Gil. Devotees of San La Muerte, who is depicted as a male skeletal figure holding a scythe, make offerings in hopes of favors ranging from health, fortune, protection, and revenge.

Meneguzzo took these photographs of Argentine folk culture in Corrientes, El Chaco, Missiones, and Buenos Aires.