Mercedes, Buenos Aires
Encyclopedia
Mercedes is a city in the province
of Buenos Aires
, Argentina
. It is located 100 km west from Buenos Aires
and 30 km south west of Luján
. It is the head town of the district (partido) of Mercedes as well as of the judicial district. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Mercedes and Luján.
It has a population of 51,967 people (51,5% women, 48,5% men) as per the .
It became a town on 25 June 1752 when founded by José de Zarate during a military campaign known as "La Valerosa". In 1777 viceroy Pedro de Ceballos proposed moving the town, but actually it was moved to its present location by viceroy Juan José de Vértiz on 8 May 1779. When moved its name was changed to "Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes".
Mercedes is one of the few towns in Argentina
in which three different railways meet, thus been connected with large commercial areas as Buenos Aires
as well as the Pacific Ocean
, the Andes
range and the pampa
s plains. This was a powerful reason during the 19th century for proposing the city as the capital of Buenos Aires Province
. Finally La Plata
became capital, but Mercedes became known as the "West Pearl".
The large gothic
cathedral Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de Mercedes can be found on San Martín square, also the location of the italianate Palacio Municipal (city hall) and numerous cafés and restaurants. A library founded by President
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
is located a few streets away.
culture. Known as "lo de Cacho" (Cacho's), it claims to be the last pulpería of the Pampas and retains the atmosphere of 1850, the year it opened. There is an original wanted poster
for the outlaw Juan Moreira
and reminders of gauchos, their culture and knife fights.
There is an old war memorial called "La Cruz de Palo". It is a wooden cross remembering where the last of the native attacks to Mercedes took place on 27 October 1823.
Mercedes is known for its peach
es and salami
, been the venue for the National Peach Fair (Fiesta Nacional del Durazno) as well as the National Salami Fair (Fiesta Nacional del Salame Quintero). Both fairs have their own queen elected each year.
was born as well as dictator Jorge Rafael Videla
.
The city was organized by a-hundred-meters-long square blocks (as a roman castra
). The streets are numbered with even numbers from South to North and with odd numbers from East to West. Thus, is really easy to orientate, find addresses and calculate distances along the city.
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, Argentina
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...
. It is located 100 km west from Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and 30 km south west of Luján
Luján, Buenos Aires
Luján is a city in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina, located 68 kilometres north west of the city of Buenos Aires. The city was founded in 1755 and has a population of 94,000 ....
. It is the head town of the district (partido) of Mercedes as well as of the judicial district. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Mercedes and Luján.
It has a population of 51,967 people (51,5% women, 48,5% men) as per the .
History
Mercedes was first established as a fortress against native attacks. Its original name was "La Guardia de Luján" and it was one of several fortress built in the borders of Buenos Aires to protect this city and gather the people living in the county near.It became a town on 25 June 1752 when founded by José de Zarate during a military campaign known as "La Valerosa". In 1777 viceroy Pedro de Ceballos proposed moving the town, but actually it was moved to its present location by viceroy Juan José de Vértiz on 8 May 1779. When moved its name was changed to "Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes".
Mercedes is one of the few towns in Argentina
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...
in which three different railways meet, thus been connected with large commercial areas as Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
as well as the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
range and the pampa
Pampa
The Pampas are the fertile South American lowlands, covering more than , that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul...
s plains. This was a powerful reason during the 19th century for proposing the city as the capital of Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
. Finally La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
became capital, but Mercedes became known as the "West Pearl".
The large gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
cathedral Basílica Catedral Nuestra Señora de Mercedes can be found on San Martín square, also the location of the italianate Palacio Municipal (city hall) and numerous cafés and restaurants. A library founded by President
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...
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento was an Argentine activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and the seventh President of Argentina. His writing spanned a wide range of genres and topics, from journalism to autobiography, to political philosophy and history...
is located a few streets away.
Popular culture
On the outskirts of Mercedes there is an old pulpería or rural bar and store, institutions which enjoy mythical status in gauchoGaucho
Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...
culture. Known as "lo de Cacho" (Cacho's), it claims to be the last pulpería of the Pampas and retains the atmosphere of 1850, the year it opened. There is an original wanted poster
Wanted poster
A wanted poster is a poster distributed to let the public know of an alleged criminal whom authorities wish to apprehend. They will generally include either a picture of the alleged criminal when a photograph is available, or of a facial composite image produced by a police artist...
for the outlaw Juan Moreira
Juan Moreira
Juan Moreira is a well-known figure in the history of Argentina, an outlaw, gaucho and folk-hero, was indeed one of the more renowned Argentinian rural bandits.-Early life:...
and reminders of gauchos, their culture and knife fights.
There is an old war memorial called "La Cruz de Palo". It is a wooden cross remembering where the last of the native attacks to Mercedes took place on 27 October 1823.
Mercedes is known for its peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es and salami
Salami
Salami is cured sausage, fermented and air-dried meat, originating from one of a variety of animals. Historically, salami has been popular among Southern European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for periods of up to 10 years, supplementing a possibly meager or inconsistent...
, been the venue for the National Peach Fair (Fiesta Nacional del Durazno) as well as the National Salami Fair (Fiesta Nacional del Salame Quintero). Both fairs have their own queen elected each year.
Miscellanea
Mercedes has been the birth place of several football players, musicians, writers and journalists. Nevertheless, it is most known as the town where ephemeral president Héctor José CámporaHéctor José Cámpora
Héctor José Cámpora Demaestre was president of Argentina from 25 May until 13 July 1973.Cámpora, affectionately known as el Tío , was born in the city of Mercedes, in the Province of Buenos Aires...
was born as well as dictator Jorge Rafael Videla
Jorge Rafael Videla
Jorge Rafael Videla Redondo is a former senior commander in the Argentine Army who was the de facto President of Argentina from 1976 to 1981. He came to power in a coup d'état that deposed Isabel Martínez de Perón...
.
The city was organized by a-hundred-meters-long square blocks (as a roman castra
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
). The streets are numbered with even numbers from South to North and with odd numbers from East to West. Thus, is really easy to orientate, find addresses and calculate distances along the city.