“With deep Christian faith / day and night he usually goes / salt flats, hills, valleys / until he steps on Calchaquí soil.” With a zamba rhythm, these verses remember the figure of San Francisco Solano, patron saint of Argentine folklore, whose memory is celebrated this July 24 in some Latin American countries.
Saint Francisco Solano was a Franciscan missionary born in Andalusia (Spain), who toured South America carrying the message of the Gospel. His evangelizing path took him, at 40 years old, through the lands that today make up the territories of Panama, Peru, Argentina and Paraguay.
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Among his virtues was his musical ability, which allowed him to generate strong ties with the natives of South America. For this reason, he is credited with patronizing folklore, a musical genre linked to Argentine roots.
In his evangelizing feat he climbed the Andes, visited the heights of Bolivia and then descended towards Argentina, passing through the current territory of La Rioja and arriving at Tucumán, the center of his apostolate for eleven years, later extended to the Esteros, Uruguay and Paraguay.
His bond with the indigenous peoples was tender, loving and trusting in the Holy Spirit. Saint Francisco Solano also used his great musical ability and his ability to learn languages, to reach many hearts with the message of Christ.
His mission led to the conversion of numerous indigenous people—it is estimated that there are more than 9,000—in Argentine territory.
The Franciscan then returned to Lima (Peru), at the request of his superiors, where he remained for the last six years of his life. He died on July 14, 1610.
Saint Francisco Solano had a prodigious voice and knew how to play the rebec and the guitar very well, a gift that he shared in the places he visited, performing happy songs.
His musical skills, which were a symbol of brotherhood with the aboriginal peoples, later gave him the title of patron of Argentine folklore, an artistic expression of national culture.
Beautiful pieces have been composed in his honor, such as the chacarera Coplas to San Francisco Solanothe Zamba in San Francisco Solano y San Francisco Solanoby León Gieco, with its version in Quechua, whose lyrics express: “Please, Father Solano, give me some beams, to soon make a manger, next to your chapel.”
Juliet Villar
I am a journalist, with a degree in communication from the National University of La Matanza in Argentina. I have work experience in non-governmental organizations. Since 2016 I have been dedicated to Catholic journalism, first at the Argentine Catholic Information Agency (AICA) and, since 2022, as ACI Prensa correspondent for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Bolivia.