#emilio barrantes

[nofatclips]

Into the Dissonance by Lunatica (featuring Amanda Somerville and Sascha Paeth) from the album New Shores

[luxurylives]

Missing Pieces Part 2

Pairing: Logan x Vanessa Kingsley

Book(s): Ride or Die: A Bad Boy Romance

Word Count: 3,475

Rating: No rating

Summary: Logan reunites with his foster parents while Vanessa considers what she was told earlier.

Author’s Note: The second part of Missing Pieces is here. I really enjoyed Ride or Die Appreciation week, if only summer school didn’t get in the way. Thank you so much to the hosts. If some names are unfamiliar, they’re from Hollywood U. Pixelberry Studios own all of the characters. Part 3 and 4 will be up very soon!

Tagging: @brightpinkpeppercorn @desiree-0816 @leelee10898 @lilyofchoices @emceesynonymroll 

“…so that’s it? You’re just trying to reunite with your foster moms?” Vanessa studied Logan’s face carefully. However, she couldn’t he was too good looking and the white shirt, the Irish Spring scent, and the veiny, toned arms weren’t helping.

“Yes,” Logan said calmly.

“That still doesn’t explain this Emilio guy…” Vanessa’s voice trailed off.

Logan thought for a moment. He had to come up with something, something believable. Suddenly a lightbulb went off in his head. “Vanessa, the truth is…I have a gambling problem”.

Vanessa scanned his face but couldn’t see any signs of laughter or even a smile.

“I was going to reunite with my foster moms so they could help me get out trouble, Emilio was trying to find me because I owe money, that’s what he does…he tracks people down, finds them”.

Vanessa bit her lip, however, she started to consider his words. “So he was like some…’ bounty hunter’…?”

“In a way, I mean being in that type of work someone from his past is going to try and seek payback or something”.

Vanessa took another look at Logan, who looked back at her with pleading eyes. “I cannot believe this” she shook her head and headed towards the door. Logan jumped up from the couch and rushed after her.

“Vanessa, wait” Logan reached out and grabbed her wrist, gently pulling her towards him. “Please just hear me out”.

Vanessa turned to gaze into his brown eyes, she felt hypnotized and pulled in for a split second. “Marco, just…leave me alone” Vanessa pried his hands off of her and stormed out of the loft.  

Despite what happened with Vanessa, Logan still had a job to do—he had to meet Zoe and Rita and find out what they know. Logan called a Dryve car to take him to the bus station where he purchased a ticket to Ashburn Bay. About an hour in a half later, the bus reached the Ashburn Bay bus station. Where Logan called a taxi to take him to Zoe and Ritas’ home. Once he got picked up, he sat in the back going over what he could say when he saw them. However, nothing came to mind. Momentarily the taxi pulled up to a lavender colored home with white shutters and hydrangeas planted out front. A golden retriever was sleeping on the front porch. Logan paid the driver and stepped out of the taxi, his heart pounding and hands shaking.

As Logan got closer to the house, the dog woke up and started barking loudly. Logan jumped back as the door flew open.

“Goodness Freddie, what is it?”

Logan stared at her blankly. She was wearing a white shirt, capris, and flip flops. Her dark hair in a ponytail. She then looked up at Logan, her eyes widening.

“Oh my god…”

Logan felt his eyes watering and swallowed, he started to speak but the words weren’t coming to him.

“Rita! Come to the door!” she rushed down the stairs to hug Logan.

Shortly, another woman appeared and also rushed towards Logan and hugged him.

“Welcome home” Zoe said.

Vanessa met up with Chelsea at Starbeans that afternoon. After they ordered their drinks, they took a seat on the patio.

“…I don’t know Vanessa, seems kind of…weird” Chelsea replied and took a sip of her Frappuccino.

Vanessa ran her fingers through her auburn hair and sighed. “I mean…maybe he was scared to tell me? Or—".

“Vanessa, don’t tell me you’re buying this?”

“Chelsea you should have seen his face…maybe I should help him…” Vanessa’s voice trailed off. She knew her parents had connections to a good lawyer and there were the feelings she had for Logan.  

Chelsea shook her head and took a deep breath. “Vanessa, I feel like this is a repeat of James Ashton”.

“Chelsea, this is not the same as James”.

“From my perspective, it looks that way. I hate seeing you get sucked into this kind of stuff, don’t you remember how James lied to you about that girl he was dating at Hartfeld? They were still together when you two hooked up a few months ago”.

Vanessa grimaced as she thought back to that summer in Cape Cod. James and his parents were visiting her family. Then one night it finally happened, he took her to bed. Only to find out later he was still dating the same girl she met at the masquerade ball. That same summer she got mixed up with two girls who only stabbed her in the back.

“Yeah but you knew they were together and didn’t say anything to me” Vanessa said sternly.

“Actually I didn’t, James and his girlfriend were having problems at the time, courtesy of Alpha Theta Mu, and I distanced myself from them after that prank was pulled on Claire”.

Vanessa sighed as her thoughts drifting back to Logan. She figured he had probably left by now to go find his foster parents. Something about him was taking over her mind and she couldn’t describe it. There was something exciting and mysterious about him.

“Just promise me that you will stay away from Marco, you’re one of my best friends and I don’t want to see you get hurt again”.

Vanessa took her straw and poked at the melting whipped cream, she then looked up at Chelsea whose eyes were pleading with her. “Okay, I promise”.

Chelsea was satisfied with her answer until she saw a distant, far-off look in her eyes.

“What?” Vanessa asked as she took another sip.

“Nothing” Chelsea said. It troubled her to see Vanessa like this, but sometimes lessons needed to be learned the hard way.

Logan wandered around the living room, with Freddie trailing at his feet and sniffing him. There were a couple of photos up of Rita and Zoe in Phuket and Beijing. Next to those were some of the foster children they have had over the years.

“You know we still, have a photo of you from your tenth birthday party”.

Logan turned around to see Zoe entering the living room from the kitchen with Rita following behind her.  

Logan took another look to see a photo on the end, he picked up recognizing his younger self. A large cake was in front of him, presents, Zoe and Rita were behind him, and two other kids that he couldn’t remember were also in the photo.

“It feels so long ago…I can’t remember” Logan studied the photograph—it was him but too distant to feel anything.

Rita came up behind and rubbed his shoulder. “It’s fine, have a seat we need to catch up”.

Rita led him over to the couch and sat down next to Zoe. Logan took a seat across from them.

“Logan, I’m going to cut the chase. What happened? Was something wrong?”

Logan knew what they were talking about but remained silent.

“Are you in some kind of trouble?” Zoe asked.

“No…everything is fine I just…I felt…pressure”.

Zoe and Rita looked at each other, unsure of what to say or think. Rita closed her eyes for a moment before continuing. “Logan, when you were fourteen you never came home. We waited at the bus stop and then we drove to the middle school—” Rita said.

“The receptionist said you walked home, and we searched and searched and well…nothing” Zoe replied.

Logan’s mouth went dry and he breathed slowly. He avoided looking at them knowing if he did, they would start crying. Freddie came over and sat at his feet, looking up at him whimpering.

“The police didn’t do anything either, not even an amber alert” Zoe said angrily.

“Logan, talk to us, what happened? Did we do something wrong? Was it me? Was it a bully? Or…” Rita’s voice trailed off.

“I was in some trouble, but it’s over now but I was too scared to come home” Logan said finally. He thought back to that day. He befriended a few older kids at school who were involved in a gang. After school, they went joyriding and robbed a convenience store. However, they left him to fend for himself when the police showed up.

“I don’t think you understand how that affected us” Rita said.

“I’m sorry” Logan said weakly and looked to each of them.

“Well, you are here now and that is what matters,” Zoe said. “How long are you visiting?”

“Not long, I came because I have been doing a lot of thinking lately and I want to try and connect with my family…relatives”.

Rita looked at the floor as Zoe placed a hand on her knee. “Logan… “.

“Please, I know it is a lot to ask, especially now, but if you can tell me anything or have anything, I would really appreciate it”.

Zoe and Rita looked at each other and whispered to each other. “Wait here,” Rita said as she stood up and disappeared down a hallway. Momentarily she returned with a box with Logan’s name written on it. Once she took the lid off, there were numerous documents and papers inside. Logan stood up and sat on the coffee table in front of them, ready to start sifting through the files.

“One month after your disappearance, Zoe got in touch with one of her college friends, Alana Kusuma. She arranged for us to meet with a private investigator in Ashburn Bay who did some digging” Rita said.

Zoe took out some of the papers and handed them to Logan, who began reading them over.

“Who was the investigator?”

“Diego Barrantes” Zoe said. “He was able to tell us about your mother, whom he visited in prison and was able to track down a few of her relatives”.

Logan sifted through the box, most of the documents contained information about his previous foster homes, there were more photos of him from when he lived with Zoe and Rita, as well as a few things he made when he was in elementary school.

“Your mother’s name is Analia Diaz” Rita pulled a picture out of the box and passed it to him.  

Logan stared at the picture, his mother was on the beach with who he assumed to be relatives, laughing.

“This is your father, Jorge Martinez” Zoe pulled out a newspaper clipping and passed it to Logan.

Logan examined the article and the picture with it. Jorge was pictured at a construction site with a hardhat and vest. There was dirt covering his face.

“Why was my Mom arrested?” Logan turned back to the other photo.

Rita sighed and took out a file and began flipping the pages, reading off Analia’s misdeeds. “Driving while under the influence, robbery, assault, substance abuse…the list goes on”.

“Where is she now? Is she still in prison?”

Rita wiped her eyes as Zoe rubbed her back and brushed some hair out of her eyes. “After your mother gave birth to you, she…she lost control, the separation was too much for her to handle”.

Logan felt his eyes water and a tear slid down his cheek. “Are you saying…?” he said weakly.

“Yes, Analia took her own life”.

Logan took the box from them and pulled a few more things out, he froze when he saw another newspaper clipping and slowly pulled it out. The headline read: “Woman Throws Herself Off a Hotel Balcony”. Logan started to read but set it down and covered his face.

After a moment of silence Rita spoke. “Perhaps we should put this away…at least for now”.

“What about my Dad? Where is he?” Logan looked back at the other newspaper clipping and photo.

“Your father died a year ago, he was severely injured at work and never made a full recovery” Zoe said.

Logan picked up another article and read the headline: “Four Construction Workers Injured in Building Collapse”. Logan skimmed the article and set it down, once again burying his face in his hands. He spent months after the breakup trying to piece his past together. After watching Colt and Ellie, he longed for a family connection. However, with everything that his foster parents were sharing with him now, it seemed all was lost.

“Logan, I know this is a lot to take in right now, but there are two things that Diego did find that we need to talk about”.

Logan wiped his eyes and sat up to face them. “What are they?”

“Well, first there is Emilio Salazar” Rita said flatly.

Logan took a deep breath and looked at the floor. What David had mentioned earlier was starting to come back to him.

“We caught him snooping around here a few times and had Diego check him out. Apparently, he was involved in illegal street racing and some other gang activity”.

Logan felt his heart thundering in his chest, small beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

“Diego also uncovered something called the Brotherhood and Mercy Park Crew, he thinks you were involved but wasn’t able to find anything”.

“Were you involved? Was that part of the reason you ran away years ago?”

Logan straightened himself up. He still couldn’t bring himself, to tell the truth, they would be crushed. “No, he must have had the wrong person”.

An uncomfortable silence began to take over until Zoe pulled the box towards her and began rummaging through it.

“We wanted to tell you that your grandmother is alive or at least we think she is” Rita said.

Zoe pulled out a photograph and passed it to Logan. “This was taken on her birthday,” she said.

Logan took the photo and examined each face in it, none of them recognizable. “She celebrated her birthday in the hospital?”

“She has been sick for a long time” Rita said.

Logan stared at the photo and his grandmother’s cheerful smile despite her surroundings. “Do you know what hospital she is in?”

“Logan that was taken months ago…we don’t know if—”.

“Please, I need to know” Logan pleaded with them.

Zoe exchanged a look with Rita and wrote two addresses down and handed it to Logan. “One is the hospital and the other is her home, or at least that is what Diego told us”.

“Thank you” Logan said as he took the sticky note. “Wait a minute, both of these…”.

“They’re on the east coast” Zoe said.

Logan sighed, he wasn’t anticipating a cross country road trip but then again, he was desperate, and he had to know.

“I guess I better head back and start packing” Logan rose from his seat and pulled out his phone to call a taxi. As he paced around the room, the memories he had of living with Zoe and Rita began to come back. The Friday night movies, homecooked meals, and the walks on the beach. A part of him desperately wanted to go back to those days but they were long gone.

A while later a car horn outside signaled it was time to go. Rita and Zoe stood up and led Logan towards the door. Once they opened it and he was outside, something told him to stop. He wanted to confess everything and let them know what was really going on. This very moment was his opportunity to turn his life around and start over in Ashburn Bay. Logan was at the bottom of the steps when he turned around. Rita was just about to close the door with Zoe by her side and Freddie in the middle. She looked up at him expectantly.

Logan cleared his throat, fighting back tears. “Thank you again”.

“Take care of yourself Logan” Rita said.

Logan nodded and opened the door to the taxi.

“Where to?” the driver asked.

“Bus station” he said.

The driver shook his head and pulled away from the house. Logan turned around watching the house fade into the distance.

That night, Chelsea took Vanessa to meet one of her friends at their house. Despite the conversation, pizza, and soda. Vanessa kept thinking about Logan, was he telling the truth? Was it gambling…or something else? She immediately snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Chelsea laughing.  

“Oh my gosh! That must have been so embarrassing for him!” Chelsea cried.

Ingrid tossed her hair with a wide grin on her face. “It was the worst promposal ever and lamest to boot, he dressed up as some The Crown & the Flame character and read some weird monologue to me during lunch”.

“What was his name?” Chelsea laughed and briefly looked up at Vanessa who was clearly in another world.

“I think it’s Tim…or Josh…to be honest I don’t know. I told him no in three different languages and went to prom with Brent”.

“Harsh” Vanessa said quietly.

“Please, he’ll get over it” Ingrid said and set her Coke down and took another bite of her pizza. “So what should I know about Langston? Best sororities? Parties? Guys?”

Chelsea quickly jumped in, knowing Vanessa was distracted. “Langston doesn’t have anything on Hartfeld, you need to transfer”.

Ingrid considered her words for a moment and shrugged. “My mind is made up, but I will visit you, Langston isn’t that far from Hartfeld” she picked up her phone and quickly rose from her seat.

“Back in a minute, two of my friends just pulled up” Ingrid said. “Vanessa, I mean it I need to know the deets about Langston when I get back”.

“Sure thing” Vanessa said.

Ingrid shook her head with a satisfied look on her face and ran back inside the house.

“Vanessa, what’s going on?” Chelsea said.

“It’s Marco…should we call the police…I mean he could be in danger…”.

Chelsea rolled her eyes and set her cup down. She whirled around to make sure, no one was around. “Vanessa, Marco brought this on himself…you need to let him go”.

Vanessa peaked at Chelsea’s phone to see an incoming text from Javier. “Why? Javier is still texting you”.

Chelsea snatched her phone up, noticing an incoming text and quickly deleted it. “Not for long, he has his own issues, something against Marco and that Emilio guy”.

“What do you mean?”

Chelsea bit her lip, instantly regretting she mentioned anything. “Well…after we hooked up, I snooped around his place and found a gun and picture of a Devore GT and a Yottsume Halberdier”.

Vanessa pursed her lips, processing what Chelsea told her. Something was definitely going on, but what?

“What did Javier say? Maybe he’s an undercover cop?”

“Oh my god, Vanessa, let it go,” Chelsea said sternly and shook her head. “Both of these guys are bad news and whatever the hell is going on, we do not need to be sucked into it”.

Vanessa started to protest but Ingrid sauntered back onto the patio with a few of her friends following behind her.

“Are you guys okay?” Ingrid looked between Vanessa and Chelsea with a confused look on her face.

“We’re fine” Chelsea stood up to greet Ingrid’s friends, quickly pasting a smile on her face.

Vanessa rose from her seat to join them. Unlike, Chelsea she couldn’t turn away from him. Whatever was going on had to be much deeper than gambling.

Logan returned to Las Mente in time for his shift which went by fairly quickly. Javier asked a few questions which Logan answered vaguely. Once Lilac Palm closed and everyone went home, Logan sat out back staring at the address to the hospital and to her home. Suddenly he heard footsteps approach and quickly stood up. He reached for a bottle to grab but set it down once he saw who it was.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to startle you”.

Logan relaxed seeing it was only Vanessa and sat back down on the step. “I wasn’t expecting you”.

“I can see that” Vanessa said as she took a seat next to him.

“I thought you were done with me”.

Vanessa took a deep breath, choosing her next words carefully. “Marco, let me help you”.

Logan raised his eyebrows at her. “What do you mean?”

“Whatever is going on…I want to help you through it”.

Logan stared into her blue eyes and once again, found himself looking at Ellie Wheeler. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and shook his head. “Vanessa, I…” Logan started to say but then he had an idea. Vanessa could be his ticket to the east coast and while searching for his grandmother he could try to reconnect with Ellie too.

“If you don’t want me to—”.

“No, I appreciate it” Logan said as he took Vanessa’s hand and squeezed it gently.

Vanessa smiled, feeling her cheeks turn a subtle red. “So you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Logan smiled and began to build upon the lie he told her earlier as Vanessa clung to every word.

[tendido-5]

Corrida de Toros :

Macusani :

Toros : Campo Bravo, Guillermo Manrique y San Pablo.

📍El Chihuahua : Oreja y Silencio.

📍Esaú Fernández : Dos orejas y Ovación.

📍Emilio Barrantes : Silencio tras tres avisos y Dos orejas.

[goricaro]

Don Luigi Cazzaniga, artista ebanista que jerarquizó Salta

Por Lucía Solís Tolosa y Gregorio A. Caro Figueroa

Luigi Cazzaniga nació en Barlassina, que actualmente depende de la Provincia de Monza, Italia, el 4 de mayo de 1910, hijo de Carlo Cazzaniga y Felicita Molteni. Estudió en la Escuela de Disegno de Barlassina y obtuvo el título de Ebanista. En la vocación de Luigi influyó la larga tradición de maestros ebanistas de Barlassina, actividad ejercida y trasmitida por sus antepasados. Esto contribuyó a que Luigi abrazara esta profesión desde muy joven.  

Contrajo enlace con Adele Moltrasio el 14 de mayo de 1938, de cuyo matrimonio nacieron cuatro hijos: Carla, Beatriz y Ángela en Italia, y César Humberto en Salta, Argentina.

Formado en su pueblo en una escuela de ebanistas que hunde sus raíces en la Edad Media, Luigi ejerció en Italia su profesión realizando el tallado de muebles en distintos estilos; además, imágenes religiosas destinadas a santerías de su lugar natal y localidades vecinas.

El hecho de que Luigi Cazzaniga llegara a Buenos Aires a comienzos de 1949, lo sitúa formando parte de la última ola emigratoria de italianos en la Argentina, producida en la inmediata posguerra, entre 1947 y 1951. Los porcentajes del saldo inmigratorio italiano sobre el saldo inmigratorio extranjero total lo confirman: En el periodo 1921-1930: 42%; en el de 1941-1946 cayó al 7% y entre 1947 a 1951 se produjo una notable recuperación: 57%. Porcentaje que contrastará luego con el del periodo 1961-1970: -17,8%.

Según el historiador argentino Mario Nascimbene, “sus características fueron en ciertos aspectos, distintas de las anteriores”. Lo fueron porque entonces eran diferentes las aspiraciones laborales y económicas. En el caso de la Provincia de Salta, la llegada de Cazzaniga es casi simultánea al arribo de Juan Pablo Crivelli (1948), el primero de cinco hermanos que se radicaron en Salta y que, al igual que Cazzaniga, hicieron importantes aportes a la cultura local. Juan Pablo, en las artes gráficas y Benito, su hermano mayor, en la librería y la promoción de la plástica y la música.

“Cada migración lleva consigo inevitablemente dificultades, incomodidades y dolor, pero también activa necesariamente mecanismos de defensa y de protección que se traducen en verdaderas experiencias de solidaridad”, señala Ada Lonni en su libro editado en 1994, citado por la profesora Fulvia Lisi.

La emigración de una generación de artesanos se explica porque algunos antiguos oficios y la capacidad profesional de algunos de los mejores comenzaron a ser menos demandados en sus lugares de origen. Emigrar era una apuesta fuerte pero necesaria para abrir nuevos horizontes no sólo en Buenos Aires, principal centro de atracción, sino también en centros urbanos de algunas provincias con tradición cultural, como fue el caso de Salta.

Su llegada a Salta

La llegada de don Luigi a la Argentina se debió a una gestión de su tío Fray Francisco Molteni, de la congregación de los Hermanos Azules y fundador, junto con otros sacerdotes, del Colegio San Cayetano de Vaqueros, Salta. Fray Francisco se puso en contacto con los padres del Colegio Salesiano de Salta, y el director Emilio R. Norry le escribe una carta a Cazzaniga ofreciéndole el trabajo de maestro de talla en la carpintería del Colegio para que enseñe su oficio; lo invita a trasladarse a la Argentina y a Salta a fin de hacerse cargo de ese trabajo, según consta en carta de fecha 28 de julio 1947.

El 19 de noviembre de 1948, los directivos del Colegio Salesiano le envían un contrato de trabajo por tres años –que luego serían nueve-  firmado por el Reverendo Padre Salvador Benenati, que ese año asumió como director del Colegio, cargo que ejerció hasta 1953; por César Rodríguez Dondiz, que era secretario general, y por el agente consular de Italia, Víctor Antonelli.

Cazzaniga aceptó los términos de ese contrato de trabajo, adoptó decisiones familiares para los tres años que estaría en Salta y organizó su viaje. Resuelto estos temas, partió del puerto de Génova el 12 de febrero de 1949 rumbo a la Argentina. Tenía 38 años cuando desembarcó en el puerto de Buenos Aires, el 5 de marzo de ese año. De inmediato se siguió camino a Salta por tren, para hacerse cargo del taller de carpintería del Colegio Salesiano, teniendo a su cargo jóvenes que querían aprender el oficio.

El ofrecimiento de contrato se hizo el año en que el Colegio Salesiano “Ángel Zerda” de Salta incorporó la Universidad Salesiana del Trabajo, iniciativa que tenía como objetivo incluir a sectores sociales vulnerables al hábito y a la cultura del trabajo. Sin educación, y sin educación en el trabajo, no era posible romper el círculo vicioso de la pobreza. En el caso del Colegio Salesiano de Salta, sus escuelas profesionales constituyeron, “por su finalidad, una concepción sociológica muy avanzada: la formación del técnico medio, el maestro, el oficial”.

En las especialidades de Artes y Oficios del Colegio Salesiano de Salta, don Luigui Cazzaniga ocupó el lugar de un eximio maestro ebanista, trasmitiendo sus conocimientos, heredados de antiguos maestros medievales, formando y capacitando alumnos de esas escuelas. Cazzaniga jerarquizó el taller de carpintería que funcionaba allí desde 1912. Se podría decir, literalmente, que lo elevó a los altares: el altar mayor de la capilla “María Auxiliadora”, los de la Virgen del Perpetuo Socorro y la Virgen del Milagro.    

Decide quedarse en Salta

Cumplido poco más de un año de su experiencia en Salta, don Luigi decidió que su familia –su esposa y tres hijas- se trasladaran a Salta para radicarse aquí. Los Cazzaniga llegaron al puerto de Buenos Aires en barco el 26 de julio de 1950, y a Salta el 1 de agosto. Durante los primeros años, la familia residió en calle España 1040. Fue en esa casa, tres años después de instalarse allí, el 3 de julio de 1953 nació su único hijo varón, César Humberto.

Aquel hogar fue una comunidad de afecto, esfuerzo, trabajo y sensibilidad artística. En ella el trabajo artístico –la ebanistería paterna- se entrelazaba con el trabajo manual de la huerta casera dentro del terreno que rodeaba la vivienda, a pocos metros de la plaza principal de la Ciudad de Salta. Los Cazzaniga Molteni tuvieron una vida privada recogida, dedicada al trabajo y la educación de los hijos.

Después de trabajar varios años en el Colegio Salesiano, el maestro italiano se independizó y armó su taller de carpintería y talla en su domicilio de España 1040, teniendo como operarios a varios jóvenes a los que él había enseñado el oficio. Pocos años después de instalarse en Salta y trabajar aquí, con gran esfuerzo, Cazzaniga adquirió prestigio por sus obras, por su formalidad y su compromiso con “la ética del trabajo bien hecho”, para usar una expresión del escritor español Antonio Muñoz Molina. A su vocación y contracción al trabajo, añadió un talento artístico plasmado en una extensa obra que jerarquizó en Salta algunos de sus espacios públicos y privados.  

En su taller se realizaron muebles de distintos estilos y con creación propia tallados por él: camas, veladores, cómodas, bibliotecas, sillas, mesas, juegos de comedor, cuadros, marcos tallados, balcones y puertas. Las obras salidas de sus manos no se redujeron solo a las más importantes y costosas, demandadas por el sector social de mayor capacidad económica: también estaban destinadas a la clase media en ascenso.  

En Salta en aquella época era el único tallista en madera que realizaba sus trabajos a mano, con sus herramientas. Las familias importantes de Salta le encargaban sus obras: juegos de dormitorios, comedores. Entre ellas, se recuerdan algunos apellidos como ser Patrón Costa, Cornejo, Saravia, Caro, Paz Chaín, Durand, Di Pasquo, Di Lella, Francesco Pagliaro, Solá, Lisi, Preti, Barrantes, Del Pin, Binda, Lecuona de Prat y Gómez Naar, entre otros.

Al terminar cada una de sus obras, éstas eran fotografiadas, tarea que confío a don Miguel Llaó, uno de los mejores fotógrafos artísticos de Salta de la segunda mitad del siglo XX. La colección de esas fotos de Llaó y los bocetos a lápiz son la base para elaborar un catálogo que incluya parte de la vasta producción de Cazzaniga.

Cazzaniga también trabajó en la restauración de muebles antiguos en poder de antiguas familias de Salta, mobiliario de finales del siglo XVIII y del XIX, heredados de sus antepasados.

Algunas de sus obras importantes

Entre los trabajos que realizó merecen un registro particular los de carácter religioso:

- La ya mencionada base de la imagen de Virgen del Milagro que se conserva en la Catedral Basílica de Salta. Esta obra tenía sus respectivas jardineras en madera que, luego, se hicieron en plata con la base que talló don Luigi. Desde 1692 el más importante y masivo culto religioso es el consagrado a la Virgen y al Señor del Milagro.  

- El marco tallado para la imagen del Niño de Aracoeli que fue encargado por el coronel Di Pasquo para la Iglesia San Francisco. En la actualidad el cuadro se encuentra en la biblioteca del dicho convento.

- El marco de la Virgen del Perpetuo Socorro de la Iglesia de San Alfonso, y también el cuadro que está al lado del altar de la Virgen donde están los recuerdos de las gracias que la gente recibe.

- También diseñó y talló el altar mayor de la Virgen María Auxiliadora de la capilla del Colegio Salesiano, colocada allí en el año 1954. Restauró y realizó sagrarios y otros trabajos en iglesias del interior de la Provincia. Pocos saben que es obra de Luigi Cazzaniga el catafalco de monseñor Roberto J. Tavella, sacerdote salesiano y primer arzobispo de Salta entre 1935 y 1963.  

Artífice de los balcones de Salta

Un elemento que manifiesta la importancia de la obra de Luigi, lo constituyen sus balcones tallados. Podemos decir que Cazzaniga es el artífice de los balcones de Salta. Lo es dos de los significados de la palabra artífice: el que alude al artista que hace un trabajo delicado con sus manos, y al designa a la persona que realiza o ejecuta una obra.

Es pertinente señalar que un considerable número de soberbios balcones que integran la obra del arquitecto Lecuona de Prat, quien durante casi cuatro décadas construyó edificios de un estilo que se ha dado en llamar californiano-mallorquino. Nacido en 1911 en La Laguna (Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Islas Canarias), Lecuona de Prat llegó a Salta en 1933 y traía bajo el brazo su título de Aparejador, profesión que hoy equivale a de Arquitecto Técnico.

En los años ’90 del siglo XX, el Colegio Oficial de Aparejadores y Arquitectos Técnicos de Santa Cruz de Tenerife publicó “El balcón que llegó de las Islas”, obra dedicada a la vida y obra de Lecuona de Prat. Fue él quien, quizás siguiendo las líneas trazadas en 1938 por el arquitecto, ingeniero y urbanista Ángel Guido en su “Plan Regulador de Salta”, dotó a esta ciudad de un carácter neo colonial, ciertamente característico.

Los balcones, puertas, ventanas, dinteles y escaleras de Cazzaniga complementaron gran parte de los proyectos arquitectónicos de Lecuona y los realzaron. No hay que olvidar que esos balcones inspirados en los de Canarias y éstos en los moriscos, y también en los de Lima, son obra del maestro ebanista: son la conjunción del trabajo de un español de Canarias y un italiano.  En parte por mezquindades y envidias y, en parte, por la modestia de Cazzaniga, su destacado aporte no recibió todavía el reconocimiento que merece.

Los balcones más importantes

Entre las más destacadas obras del maestro ebanista integradas a arquitectura, se pueden mencionar:

- El imponente balcón en la fachada del Club 20 de febrero, entidad que reúne a familias tradicionales y segundo de ese tipo más antiguo de la Argentina. La sede de este club, ubicada en el Paseo Güemes próxima al Monumento al General Güemes, es un edificio construido en 1948, que fue propiedad de Carlos Durand. Obra de Cazzaniga son también mesas y sillas del ese club.

- El balcón de la casa de la familia Bellini, en avenida San Martín al 400 frente a Plaza Francia.

- El extenso balcón, sumado a las puertas y escalera interior, de la casa de avenida Belgrano 1100, construida para la familia de Fernando Lecuona de Prat.

- El marco y la puerta de la casa de la familia Cornejo en avenida Belgrano al 600, entre 20 de Febrero y Balcarce, hoy propiedad de don Luis Uriburu Castellanos. Es una de las obras más importantes, en la que respeta y recrea el estilo de columnas y puertas de Salta del siglo XVIII.

Talento artístico en las manos

Los altares, sagrarios, marcos de imágenes y otras producciones religiosas, revelan no solo la maestría sino también el refinado y delicado gusto clásico, de indudable ADN italiano, de Cazzaniga. Revelan también la serenidad espiritual y la sensibilidad religiosa de este artesano-artista que dejó una estimada huella en la cultura material de Salta.

Clientes y amigos recuerdan su honestidad, su trato formal y amable; fue una persona respetada y apreciada en un medio que no hacía concesiones al respecto. Don Luigi se concentró en su trabajo. En cada una de sus obras cuidó el detalle, buscó la perfección, combinando viejas y nuevas técnicas, antiguos y nuevos estilos.

Luigi, como lo llamaban cariñosamente las personas que lo conocieron, falleció a los 59 años luego de una larga dolencia, el 21 de abril de 1970. Por sus manos derramó su talento artístico. A su familia y a su arte consagró su vida este hijo de Italia que salió de Barlassina para radicarse en Salta, morir aquí y perdurar también aquí en la madera, materia prima de su extensa e importante obra.-

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