Metalworker's Day in Argentina

Every September 7 is celebrated in Argentina as Metalworker's Day in honor of Fray Luis Beltrán, an Argentinean religious who was born on a day like today but in 1784 in Mendoza. Despite his activities as a friar, Beltrán was immortalized in national history for being one of the promoters of metalworking, with very important contributions to the artillery used by the Andes Army in the battles for Independence.

Throughout the second decade of the 19th century, when exploiting the wars for Independence in what was formerly the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, Fray Luis Beltrán combined his religious duties with his knowledge of mathematics and chemistry, and ventured into the metallurgical activity. As a metal worker, he played a very important role as manufacturer and organizer of the artillery of the Andes Army, led by General José de San Martín.

Beltrán set up his workshop in the Plumerillo camp (in the province of Mendoza), where some seven hundred artisans and operators -whom the friar taught the trade- worked in shifts. Here they made everything from saddles and shoes, to cannonballs, rifles, transport vehicles and grenades, items that were produced with metals obtained from the smelting of church bells and cooking pots.

But Beltrán's work was not limited to the manufacture of pieces: he also designed machines to optimize the work of the grenadiers in the heights of the Andes Mountains. He devised special equipment to transport cannons on muleback, equipment to climb the steepest slopes and transportable suspension bridges for men and mules.