Terra Nostra

Terra Nostra was a former cattle ranch and Almacen-turned-retreat house in the historic town of Garzon. Located in the eastern part of the Maldonado Department of southeastern, Uruguay, about 2 hours east of Montevideo, Garzon was officially founded by a merchant named Fermín de León in 1892.

Prior to the town’s creation, the building that now houses Terra Nostra was the center of activity for the rural community. The 1920s saw a growth of industry in the area with the construction a railroad and mill. Commercial activity began to rise and the population of the town grew rapidly to around 2,000 residents in the 1940s. A theater was built, and the town even formed a local orchestra.

As work in the mill began to decline, the railroad stopped running, forcing the residents to start moving elsewhere. The town would remain nearly abandoned until the 2000s. Today, a small community made up of around 200 inhabitants reside here dedicated to rural activity and granite quarries.

Since 2004 there has been a bohemian revival of sorts within the town, with the opening of Hotel & Restaurant Garzon as well as the influx of many artists visiting the town. The opening of the Garzon Village Gallery is aimed at spreading the work of the national and foreign artists in their area.