The story you are about to read pictures the life of my grandmother, Victoria Martel.  I am Irupé, and this is my story.....
… Don Manuel Martel was an army officer who, during a mission to Salta, met Miss Filomena Roca, a local young and beautiful lady with whom he fell madly in love.  A few months later they were husband and wife. 
Victoria Martel is born on April 13th, 1920, at Iruya, Salta province. Due to complications during labor, Doña Filomena would not bear any more children.   

Victoria was a lively and intelligent child, happy and extroverted who would pay attention to every detail, every movement as if she were registering images in an album or memories box.  That is why she quickly learned to draw, to use colors and to manufacture crafts, enthused by the natives and the workers of the big house she lived in. 
In 1925 the family was destined to a frontier post, near Bariloche, Rio Negro province, where they lived until the year 1935, when Don Manuel dies in the middle of a battle.  Doña Filomena decides to move to Buenos Aires, to her mother and father-in-law’s house, both of whom were more than happy to have her live with them. 
Victoria’s childhood moves on without any other major drawback until she turns 15 years old.  Her grandparents organize a big party and during the event she would meet her future husband, Mr. Rafael Martínez, a politician and diplomat, highly educated and a globetrotter.  They marry two years later and they move to San Telmo, a neighborhood known for the many artisans and craftsmen that inhabit it. 

It is in this side of the city where Victoria meets again with different crafts, and her love for native arts and her need to express herself through paintings, drawings and manual work flourish and develop. 
She begins to work with raw leather and silver, inspired by Don Gómez Mac Cormack, Daniel Gomez’ father, one of the best known silversmiths and leather artisans of our times. 
In the next four years Victoria would give birth to Ignacio and Aurora, who, together with their parents, would depart towards Central America to Mr. Martínez first diplomatic destination.  
Victoria pays close attention to everything that is native and handcrafted,  and incorporates it to her vast knowledge of techniques and craftsmanship using different materials and textures.  But her learning process would be complete only after she visited Africa, where she lived until 1950, when her husband died of yellow fever. 
Victoria swiftly returns to Argentina with Aurora and Ignacio, now  8 and 10 years old.  This time she decides to live in Salta, to be closer to her roots and to her mother, Doña Filomena. 
Since Victoria’s mother was part of Salta’s high class, many important men and women would stay at their house.  And even though Victoria did not need to work to earn a living, she felt the need to do what she enjoyed most:  work with her hands.

She met Roberto Guzmán, an expert with all types of wool.  Together they carried out several projects: tapestry, throws, blankets, horse pads, etc.  So well known is Roberto Guzmán, that still nowadays many gauchos and horse riders have their horse pads and stable blankets brought from Salta. 
Others, like Don Eduardo Discoli, prefer to choose the pieces themselves and make a quick stop at Roberto’s workshop in the midst of his trip through the three continents.  Maybe when he reaches his destiny, the people of Morocco would like to trade local creations for native Argentinean blankets and a stronger bond between cultures will be achieved. 
In 1962 Aurora gave birth to Juan Jacinto and I – Irupé – twin offsprings.
 
In order to rescue the culture and craftsmanship of the artisans living in small villages in the mountains, and following her environmental friendly spirit, Victoria donates part of her land so that women could create their own crafts in manual looms.  From the shearing of the animal to the dying process, everything is done manually following old techniques which have been passed from one generation to another. 

Then, once pillows, throws, blankets, curtains, shawls and scarves are made, they are sent to Buenos Aires, to Victoria’s friends who are in charge of marketing the pieces. 
So huge was Victoria’s legacy, that artisans from different parts of the country decided to establish themselves in Salta, in the lands donated by her to develop their crafts. 

On one occasion, in 1990, Victoria throws a big party to celebrate her 70th birthday.  People from all parts of the country, mainly writers, artists and artisans, attended the event.  Daniel Gómez arrived with the most spectacular present, an enormous sterling silver and braided colt raw leather choker, dyed in three different colors, and the initials VM.  Aldo Sessa took pictures of the meeting and spoke about his new book on Polo which he was about to edit.  Of course Roberto Guzmán and Victoria’s friends in Buenos Aires were also present, as well as Eduardo Díscoli who gave her a typical Sariri board game to be played during the long and hot afternoons of Salta. 
Victoria died on June 17th, 2000, at the age of 80, surrounded by her grandchildren, her children, her friends and most precious objects.