The Salesian Historical Archive of Southern Argentina, based in Bahía Blanca (AR AHS ARS/BB), safeguards the documentary legacy of the work founded by Don Bosco in 1859, whose missionaries arrived in Argentina in 1875 with the dream of evangelizing Patagonia. Since those early years of "itinerant missions," agricultural schools, meteorological observatories, and hospitals, the institution has generated a vast collection of letters, chronicles, diaries, maps, and more than 20,000 photographs that we preserve today as a living testimony of the social, cultural, and religious history of southern Argentina.
Our collection brings together the personal records of more than 600 Salesians, as well as the archives of 86 houses and works (including schools, parishes, and missions) across Río Negro, Neuquén, Chubut, Santa Cruz, Tierra del Fuego, and the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). Among our documentary treasures are the papers of Saint Artémides Zatti and Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá, as well as records from the Vicariate and Apostolic Prefecture of Northern and Southern Patagonia, respectively—indispensable sources for researchers of Patagonian history, indigenous ethnography, and the region's educational development.
The Archive is an open-door space for the Salesian family and qualified researchers from around the world. We adhere to international archival description standards and offer guidance and search services to support scientific research. Located in the historic Provincial House (Inspectoría) building in Bahía Blanca, we work daily to digitize and enhance the value of this heritage.