Road Side Sanctuaries,Image GAllery of road side sanctuaries in Argentina.Gauchito Gil,a populat figure alomng the roads, which can be seen as just a mere example of the way these cults evolve from reality to mythology. Road Side Sanctuaries,Road side attractions ......in Argentina.Here in this case a sanctuary for Saint known as Gauchito Gil,a popular figure alomng the roads, which can be seen as just a mere example of the way these cults evolve from reality to mythology. The bond between religion and society in Latin America is tide and important. It has been since Colonial times when Church and Conquerors were two sides of a same coin. The need of civilizing the natives was not just a matter of society but a matter of soul and religion, they said. And so it was. Two cultures, two different worlds encountered. It was not peaceful, it was harsh, it was the only way a conquest could be: rich, traumatic, conciliatory, and harsh on the generations to come. It was a subversion of the way things were until then, and religion and morality were not excepted from the main alteration flow brought to the American Continent from Europe. It's important to point out that this was not a one way street of influence, but the result of mutual influences in different degrees and amounts considering the time, the strength and many more aspects that are to be considered when analyzing what happened then. There's no question about the fact that Latin American Catholicism is not the same as the one in Rome, in spite of the fact that the relationship is unquestionable. It's very much mixed with local influences that harden some trends, such as sanctuaries along the road, worshiping the appearances of the Virgin Mary and several important saints. One of the most interesting features are the many "new" saints, specific from Latin America that have made a great appearance and are highly appreciated. Along the roads throughout every country you'll find amazing sanctuaries, big, small, highly elaborated or very simple ones. All of them portray the saint's image, surrounded by flowers and small "tokens" of affection such as candles, rosaries, written prayers. Bob Frassinetti. Buenos Aires, Argentina