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Myriam Stefford and Ra\u00fal Bar\u00f3n Biza. After her fatal crash, the mysterious Swiss Abroad was immortalised by the El Ala mausoleum in Argentina. <\/p>\n
PD <\/p>\n
In the heart of Argentina, an 82-metre concrete wing soars into the sky. Tourists photograph it, travel guides mention it, and Argentinians know its story. In Switzerland, on the other hand, few are aware that one of Argentina\u2019s tallest monuments is dedicated to a Swiss woman.\n<\/p>\n
This content was published on <\/p>\n
March 1, 2026 – 10:30\n<\/p>\n
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\n In my work, I focus on topics that are relevant to Swiss citizens abroad \u2013 from political developments in Switzerland and their impact on the diaspora to social, economic, and cultural issues.
\nBefore joining SWI swissinfo.ch, I worked as a local journalist for the Aargauer Zeitung. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Multilingual Communication and, as is typically Swiss, completed an apprenticeship as a commercial employee. <\/p>\n
\n Deutsch <\/p>\n \n de <\/p>\n In Argentinien steht ein Denkmal f\u00fcr eine Frau aus Bern \u2013 gigantisch, voller Mythen und fast vergessen <\/p>\n Original\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read more: In Argentinien steht ein Denkmal f\u00fcr eine Frau aus Bern \u2013 gigantisch, voller Mythen und fast vergessen \n Fran\u00e7ais <\/p>\n \n fr <\/p>\n En Argentine, un monument gigantesque, mythique et presque oubli\u00e9 rend hommage \u00e0 une Suissesse\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read more: En Argentine, un monument gigantesque, mythique et presque oubli\u00e9 rend hommage \u00e0 une Suissesse Myriam Stefford, born Rosa Martha Rossi in Bern, is a legend in Argentina. Around 11,500 kilometres separate her birthplace from her mausoleum, known as El Ala (the wing), in C\u00f3rdoba. Her eventful life has been widely documented. Newspapers in SwitzerlandExternal link<\/a>, as well as publications abroad, books and films, have recounted her story. Yet less is known about the Swiss monument in her memory that still stands.<\/p>\n Why has an 82-metre mausoleum honouring a Swiss woman stood in the middle of Argentina for 90 years? The answer begins with an adventurous life, a great love and a passion for flying \u2013 and ends with a tragic accident still shrouded in mystery.<\/p>\n Myriam Stefford, born Rosa Martha Rossi in Bern. In Argentina, she became a dazzling figure of the upper class. <\/p>\n PD <\/p>\n Rosa Martha Rossi was born in Bern in 1905. Her father, a carriage dealer originally from Ticino, was solidly middle class. In 1924 the young woman gave formal notice terminating her residence in Bern and travelled to Paris \u2013 officially for one year.<\/p>\n The reasons remain unclear. Argentinian sources claim she ran away from home; Swiss historians suspect family conflicts or an unwanted relationship.<\/p>\n How she supported herself in Paris is unknown. Nor is it clear how she met the Argentinian millionaire Ra\u00fal Bar\u00f3n Biza. What is certain is that the eccentric Argentinian reinvented Rosa Rossi as Myriam Stefford. <\/p>\n In his own magazine in 1926 he presented her as a rising film star with parts in German films. Today we know that this career was largely fabricated. Her name appears in neither film archives nor theatre registers.<\/p>\n Even a wedding in Venice was announced in the media, yet decades later no corresponding record was found in the civil registry. When Stefford arrived in Argentina in 1928, she was reportedly registered as a single worker.<\/p>\n One of Argentina\u2019s first female pilots<\/p>\n Just weeks after receiving her pilot\u2019s licence, Myriam Stefford set off on an ambitious sightseeing flight \u2013 which ended fatally. <\/p>\n PD <\/p>\n Despite this, Stefford became a prominent figure in Argentina. She moved in wealthy social circles, led a glamorous life, and discovered a new passion: flying. In 1931 she was among the first women in the country to obtain a pilot\u2019s licence. Only weeks later, she announced plans to undertake a staged flight across Argentina\u2019s 14 provincial capitals.<\/p>\n On August 18, 1931, she set off in a small two-seater aircraft. Several incidents forced her to make emergency landings, but she continued her journey. On August 26, 1931, her plane crashed near Marayes in the province of San Juan. Stefford and her flight instructor were killed.<\/p>\n Rumours about the cause of the crash began circulating shortly afterwards. Some spoke of an air pocket; others speculated about foul play. The legends began immediately after her death \u2013 and persist to this day.<\/p>\n A monument built out of love<\/p>\n Bar\u00f3n Biza responded to the death of his companion with an unprecedented memorial project. He first had a monument erected at the crash site. In 1936 the monumental mausoleum, El Ala, followed in Alta Gracia: an 82-metre concrete wing that even surpasses Buenos Aires\u2019 famous obelisk.<\/p>\n El Ala near Alta Gracia in the province of C\u00f3rdoba is 82 metres high. <\/p>\n PD <\/p>\n Designed as a giant, stylised aircraft wing, the structure was also conceived as a lighthouse. A light that used to shine on its tip was reportedly visible from up to 60 kilometres away.<\/p>\n Stefford\u2019s remains were transferred there. According to legend, she was buried with her jewellery, including a diamond that has spawned myths of its own.<\/p>\n From the outset, the monument was intended as a public space: a park and meeting place. Thousands are said to have attended its inauguration in 1936. Ninety years later, the concrete wing still stands in the landscape of the Sierras near C\u00f3rdoba \u2013 weather-beaten, abandoned and, in Switzerland, largely forgotten.<\/p>\n External Content <\/p>\n A story that lives on locally<\/p>\n In Argentina, however, the story continues to resonate \u2013 not only in books and films, but also in personal memories of the mausoleum. In response to an appeal by Swissinfo, several readers from Argentina got in touch. Many associate the monument with childhood memories or family ties to Switzerland.<\/p>\n \u201cEl Ala is much more than a monument: it connects C\u00f3rdoba with Switzerland through a story of love and pioneering spirit,\u201d one reader wrote. Others said they often drove past the mausoleum, and some highlighted their Swiss roots.<\/p>\n So El Ala remains not only the grave of a young pilot but also a symbol of the connection between two countries \u2013 a story that continues to fascinate 90 years on.<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n Do you live abroad? Are there places with Swiss history near you? <\/p>\n Do you know of any places, buildings or works of art in your country of residence that are closely linked to the history of Swiss emigration?\n <\/p>\n
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\n <\/a><\/p>\n![\"Stefford](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/STEFFORD_JEWELLERY.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Stefford](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/STEFFORD_IN_GEAR.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"the](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/STEFFORD_EL_ALA_NEW.jpg\")
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