Chilecito
Encyclopedia
Chilecito is a city in the Argentine
province
of La Rioja
, and head of the department
of Chilecito.
colonizers. From its mining past that saw its zenith at the end of the 19th century, the city conserves the cable-car of the La Mejicana mine built by Bleichert
.
Argentine educator, lawmaker and historian Joaquín V. González
was raised in the vicinity of Chilecito, and kept a vacation home here in his later years. The property, which he called Samay Huasi
(Quechua for "vacation home") was donated to the University of La Plata for use as an artists' retreat.
Chilecito is surrounded by an oasis of irrigation, which has expanded by way of supplements from underground waters. The majority of agricultural land is used for the cultivation of vineyards, while the most significant industrial activity is based in wine-cellars. Walnut and fruit trees are also cultivated and their product is locally processed.
At the end of the 1990s, the local faculty dependent of the National University of La Rioja
became the National University of Chilecito
, a measure harshly criticized by different academic and political sectors, especially considering that the President of Argentina
at the time, Carlos Menem
, was born in that province.
and La Puntilla; without them, the population of Chilecito was 25,423 inhabitants in 2001.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of La Rioja
La Rioja Province (Argentina)
La Rioja is a one of the provinces of Argentina and is located in the west of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Catamarca, Córdoba, San Luis and San Juan.-History:...
, and head of the department
Departments of Argentina
Departments form the second level of administrative division in the provinces of Argentina. There are no departments in the city of Buenos Aires, which has so far been divided into neighbourhoods as its administrative divisions, but is to be divided now into communes by a recently passed local act...
of Chilecito.
Overview
It's located in the valley formed by the Sierras de Velazco to the east, and the Sierras de Famatina to the west. The city was founded in 1715 by SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonizers. From its mining past that saw its zenith at the end of the 19th century, the city conserves the cable-car of the La Mejicana mine built by Bleichert
Bleichert
Adolf Bleichert & Co. was a famous German engineering firm.It was founded in 1874 by Adolf Bleichert and began to build bicable aerial tramwaysfor mining in the Ruhr. With important patents, and dozens of working systems in Europe, Bleichert...
.
Argentine educator, lawmaker and historian Joaquín V. González
Joaquín V. González
Joaquín Víctor González was an Argentine educator, political scientist, writer, magistrate, and politician.- Early life :...
was raised in the vicinity of Chilecito, and kept a vacation home here in his later years. The property, which he called Samay Huasi
Samay Huasi
Samay Huasi is a historic property in Argentina functioning as a both a vacation retreat, as well as a museum.-Overview:Located in Chilecito, a town located high in the Pampas Sierras of La Rioja Province, the property originally belonged to William Treloar, a British mining engineer who purchased...
(Quechua for "vacation home") was donated to the University of La Plata for use as an artists' retreat.
Chilecito is surrounded by an oasis of irrigation, which has expanded by way of supplements from underground waters. The majority of agricultural land is used for the cultivation of vineyards, while the most significant industrial activity is based in wine-cellars. Walnut and fruit trees are also cultivated and their product is locally processed.
At the end of the 1990s, the local faculty dependent of the National University of La Rioja
National University of La Rioja
The National University of La Rioja is an Argentine national university, situated in the city of La Rioja, capital of La Rioja Province. Its precursor, the Provincial University of La Rioja, was established in 1972.-See also:*** Argentine Universities...
became the National University of Chilecito
National University of Chilecito
The National University of Chilecito is an Argentine national university situated in the city of Chilecito, La Rioja.-See also:*** Argentine Universities...
, a measure harshly criticized by different academic and political sectors, especially considering that the President of Argentina
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
at the time, Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
, was born in that province.
Population
Chilecito had 49,453 inhabitants (as of the ), representing a 31% population increase in ten years (there were 22,485 inhabitants in 1991). These numbers include the nearby localities of Anguinán, Los Sarmientos, San MiguelSan Miguel (La Rioja)
San Miguel is a municipality and village in La Rioja Province in northwestern Argentina....
and La Puntilla; without them, the population of Chilecito was 25,423 inhabitants in 2001.
Personalities
- Joaquín V. GonzálezJoaquín V. GonzálezJoaquín Víctor González was an Argentine educator, political scientist, writer, magistrate, and politician.- Early life :...
, nee Joaquín Víctor González - Julián Amatte
- Doña Nocenta Pizetta
- Francisco Antonio Ortiz de Ocampo
- Domingo de Castro y Bazán
- Sarmiento de la Vega
- Isabel Ibarra y Velasco de Sarmiento de la Vega