Gauchito Gil

Argentine folk saint

The Gauchito Gil (literally "Little Gaucho Gil") is a folk religious figure from Argentina. His cult is inspired by the purported historical figure of Antonio Mamerto Gil Núñez (c. 1847 1878), whose existence is not reliably documented. He is currently regarded as the most prominent folk saint in Argentina, although sanctuaries devoted to his cult are also found in Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Spain.

Antonio Gil was supposedly born in the 1840s near what is now the city of Mercedes (formerly "Pay Ubre") in the province of Corrientes, Argentina, where he grew up to become a gaucho. According to a different version of the legend, after being conscripted to fight in the War of the Triple Alliance, one night Gil had a dream in which God told him not to kill innocent people. He consequently deserted the army, becoming a fugitive from justice. The main sanctuary of Gauchito Gil is located about 8 km from the city of Mercedes, at the alleged site of his execution, and houses an empty mausoleum (i. e., a cenotaph) dedicated to his memory. Other major sanctuaries are located in the cities of Buenos Aires (Plaza Los Andes and Puente La Noria), Posadas, Rosario, and San Roque, among others, as well as in the suburbs of Buenos Aires (Bernal, Alejandro Korn, Troncos del Talar, etc.). Small roadside shrines painted red and decorated with red flags and ribbons can be found scattered all over Argentina's roads, with special prevalence in the north of the country. The Diocese of Goya and the Mexican Diocese of Celaya have both recognized the veneration of Gauchito Gil.