The story behind this place
On the main access road to Villa Gesell, serving as a welcoming symbol, stands the “totem”—a monument created by the German sculptor Pablo Hannemann. It was inaugurated in December 1977 in the presence of Don Carlos Gesell and his wife, Doña Emilia. The piece shows a clear influence from the traditions of the Indigenous peoples of Canada and Alaska, who erected such structures to honor their chiefs. It was created in honor of the town’s founder, Don Carlos Idaho Gesell.
Position yourself in front of it, at the foot of the stairs, to take in this colored concrete sculpture, which stands approximately 12 meters tall. It represents a family—a father, a mother, and a child—set against the backdrop of the sea and the forests.
Crowning the monument is a mythological creature: the Thunderbird, the creator and regulator of natural elements. The name “Villa Gesell” is inscribed across its outstretched wings.
At the base of the totem, on a carved wooden sign, one can read a significant phrase that captures the spirit of the founder: "The delight of success is all the greater when one overcomes difficulties that others have tried—but failed—to conquer."
Position yourself in front of it, at the foot of the stairs, to take in this colored concrete sculpture, which stands approximately 12 meters tall. It represents a family—a father, a mother, and a child—set against the backdrop of the sea and the forests.
Crowning the monument is a mythological creature: the Thunderbird, the creator and regulator of natural elements. The name “Villa Gesell” is inscribed across its outstretched wings.
At the base of the totem, on a carved wooden sign, one can read a significant phrase that captures the spirit of the founder: "The delight of success is all the greater when one overcomes difficulties that others have tried—but failed—to conquer."