Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena

Life & Legacy

Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena, Marquesa de La Iglesia Católica (born María Luisa de las Mercedes Castellanos de la Iglesia; 24 September 1840 - 9 July 1920) was an Argentine aristocrat and philanthropist. She commissioned the San Martín Palace and funded the construction of the Basilica of the Holy Sacrament, the Monastery of Saint Teresa of Jesus, and the Cathedral of Salta. Castellanos de Anchorena, dedicated to Catholic causes, also gave scholarships to students at the Pontifical Latin American College in Rome. She was ennobled by Pope Pius XI and awarded the Pontifical Golden Rose, becoming the first Argentine to be made a papal marchioness.