La Argentina, o la conquista del Río de la Plata

What it is

This is a historical epic poem written by Martín del Barco Centenera, a cleric who lived in the Río de la Plata region during Garay's lifetime. First composed around 1602, it tells the story of the Spanish conquest of the region in verse, divided into many cantos.

Why it matters

The poem includes an account of Garay's foundations and his death, making it one of the earliest literary sources describing his life. It shows how people who actually lived through the conquest chose to tell its story — not as plain history, but as heroic poetry, which shaped how later generations remembered figures like Garay.

Look closer

• Why might someone choose to tell history as a poem instead of a plain record?
• What does it mean that the author actually lived in the region he wrote about?
• How might a poem praising conquest differ from how conquered peoples might tell the same story?