Y Wladfa - (Patagonia)

Extracts from a documentary made in 1961 about the Welsh colony founded in the Chubut province of Argentina in 1865. The original Welsh settlers were looking for a "New Wales" where they could live free from the influences and domination of English. They were offered land in the still unconquered and unexplored area of the Chubut valley in Patagonia. After initial hardships they began to prosper and opened further settlements inland away from Porth Madryn right up to Cwm Hyfryd in the foothills of the Andes. Bonds have been strengthened in recent years between Wales and Y Wladfa with support from the Welsh Assembly Government. There is now a Welsh school and frequent visits between the 2 countries to compete in Eisteddfods and other cultural exchanges. On a recent visit to Argentina, the Welsh rugby team played one of their test matches in the "old colony" to highlight and strengthen this link. There are also links between the Welsh of Patagonia and the Welsh communities in the USA, Canada and Australia.
A lot has changed in the 50 years since this was made and this may be of particular interest to the peoples of the townships of Trelew, Gaiman etc. Especially the families of the people who were featured in the documentary.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Wladfa
• Chubut
• Madryn
• Esquel
• Gaiman
• Trelew
• Trevelin
• Patagonia
• Welsh
• colony
• Wales
• Cymru
• Argentina
• Ariannin
• gouchos

[muffcrew]

Ok great I´ll check the website. How big is the file you have for the 30 mins?

[stifyn]

@muffcrew I will send you a message to your inbox.

[muffcrew]

You can now upload videos over an hour long now... would love to see the whole thing.

[stifyn]

@muffcrew . I think I still have the full 30 mins but the only software I have is Windows Movie Maker which is a nightmare to use as it keeps hanging. S4C have been running a 4 part series on Patagonia , Cof Patagonia ( Remember Patagonia) and the final episode is on at 14:25 tomorrow. I have looked on S4C Clic to see if you can watch the previous episodes but they are not listed strangley enough?? You can however watch a recent film called Patagonia starring Matthew Rhys & Duffy

[joshboyweh]

i would love to see the whole of this documentary! such an interesting topic. to think that you can still get served traditional welsh tea. and in south america. amazing. is there no way to upload it all?

[stifyn]

Youtube only allows you to upload 10 minutes. With hind sight I could have split the documentary into 3 parts and uploaded it that way. Perhaps the BBC will show it again in 6 years time on the 150th anniversary of the Welsh arriving in Patagonia.

[highlife899]

this is very interesting i am welsh and a welsh speaker..i would like to go there one day

[Lewisk2008]

@martadelsur soy galés y hablo el espanol :D hablas galés? :D

[martadelsur]

El Eisteddfod es una festividad de origen galés, que comenzó a celebrarse en el siglo XII, cuando el conde Rhys ap Gruffyddd de Deheubarth organizó esta festividad-competición de poesía y música, en Cardigan en 1176.

El término galés Eistedd-fod significa "Estar sentado"

[georgehammer]

I was in the Chubet Valley when I visited Argentina a few years ago. Talk about a barren place. Awful agricultural land with poor irrigation and the shock the settlers must have got when they arrived must have been heartbreaking to say the least.

[javitojacobito]

I think also Pto. Madryn and Rawson are welsh colonies.

[CJCymru]

I'm a Welsh speaker, and I don't think I've ever said 'eisteddfodau'. Eisteddfods sound better

[runexown]

it is true the welsh moved to patgonia years ago im welsh and i wlesh speaker i'd love to se the whole documentary