Overview

Situated on the upper Río Negro (Black River) valley, the city was established in 1924 by land prospector Juan Mión, who named the new settlement in honor of the First Lady of Argentina at the time, Regina Pacini de Alvear. Populated initially by Italian

Italian Argentine

An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...

 and Austrian

Austrians

Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....

 settlers, each of these families was deeded a land grant

Land grant

A land grant is a gift of real estate – land or its privileges – made by a government or other authority as a reward for services to an individual, especially in return for military service...

 of 5 to 15 hectares (13 to 38 acres) and, by 1928, 5,000 ha (12,600 ac) had been allotted this way.

Closely linked to General Roca

General Roca, Río Negro

General Roca is a city in the northeast of the Argentine province of Río Negro, northern Patagonia. UN/LOCODE is ARGNR.It was founded on September 1, 1879 by Coronel Lorenzo Vintter during the Conquest of the Desert...

, the department (county) seat to Villa Regina's west, the city remains known for its apple

Apple

The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...

 and pear

Pear

The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....

 harvests, though its economy is today well-diversified into services and is home to numerous canning and bottling plants, as well. Villa Regina is connected to other cities in the orchard-rich Río Negro Valley via Highway 22

National Route 22 (Argentina)

National Route 22 is a highway located in Argentina, that connects the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Río Negro and Neuquén in . The route starts at the connection with...

.