Case file · Folklore / legend
Francisco Piria's castle, Piriápolis
Uruguayan businessman Francisco Piria, who founded the resort of Piriápolis, built a castle there in 1897 and was reputed to be an alchemist; the town's layout is said to follow esoteric principles.
1897 CE · -34.85, -55.26 · status: account
The account
Piria wrote a utopian novel, 'El socialismo triunfante' (1898), and local tradition claims hermetic symbolism in his buildings and in the nearby Cerro del Toro fountain.
The sceptical view
Piria's interests are documented; the town's 'esoteric design' is a modern interpretation.