Mendoza

Gates of General San Martín Park

Mendoza is a city in the west of Argentina, and the capital of the Mendoza Province. As per the it has about 111,000 inhabitants, plus 800,000 in its metropolitan area, making it the fourth-largest conurbation in Argentina.

Mendoza is on a major road between Argentina and Chile. It is a frequent stopover for climbers heading up Aconcagua (the highest mountain in the Western Hemisphere) or for other mountaineering, hiking, horseback riding, rafting, and outdoor activities. In the winter, skiers come to the city for its easy access to the Andes.

One of the main industries of the Mendoza area is wine making. Another large industry is olive oil production.

History

Monument dedicated to the Army of the Andes, on the summit of the Cerro de la Gloria.

Mendoza was founded in 1561 by Pedro del Castillo. Here José de San Martín organized the army with which he won the independence of Chile. In 1861 a severe earthquake destroyed the city and killed 10,000 people. The city was refounded in a different site, some blocks from the original place.

Culture

The grape harvest is marked each year by the Vendimia festival, taking place in early March, in which 17 beauty queens (one for each provincial departament) are nominated, and one winner is selected by a panel of about 50 judges. The queen from Mendoza City cannot be chosen because she acts as host for all other queens. Mendoza City proper does not have vineyards.

Mendoza has an intense cultural activity, and the city is a main center for professional congresses and meetings. There are several museums, the main ones being the Museo Cornelio Moyano (a natural history museum) and the Museo del Área Fundacional (Foundation Area Museum, historical). In Maipú, 15 km southeast from Mendoza, there is the Museo Nacional del Vino (National Wine Museum), which focuses on the history of winemaking in the area. In Mayor Drummond, 14 km south from Mendoza, there is the Emiliano Guiñazú - Casa de Fader art museum, hosted in a 1890 mansion where many walls have paintings by the artist Fernando Fader.

Urban structure

The city center has many trees, watered by small canals which run alongside many of the roads providing welcome shade. The city is centered around the Plaza Independencia, with a pedestrian street, Sarmiento St., running through the center. Other major streets, running perpendicular to Sarmiento, are 9 de Julio St., San Martín Avenue, and running parallel to Sarmiento are avenues Colón, Arístides Villanueva and Las Heras. Many small parks, known as "plazas" are spread within the city. Three of these are Plaza Espaňa, Plaza Independencia and Plaza Fundacional.

Located West of the city is the Parque San Martín (San Martín Park). It was designed by the world renowned architect Thays. On its premises you can find soccer stadiums, a zoo, the main university (Universidad Nacional de Cuyo) and a monument that commemorates the cross of the Andes by San Martin and his army. A view of the city is available from the top of the hill "Cerro de la Gloria".

There are many Internet cafes and outdoor equipment supply stores. Some places offer wi-fi technology. There are also many bars on Aristídes Villanueva Avenue, that are really active during the weekends.

Climate

General San Martín Park

Mendoza has very dry summers with wetter winters. Average temperatures for January (summer) are 35 °C (95 °F) during daytime, and 23 °C (73 °F) at night. For July (winter), the average temperatures are 12 °C (53 °F) and 3 °C (38 °F), respectively.

Transportation

By bus, Mendoza is 1,037 kilometres from Buenos Aires (14 hours by bus) and 380 kilometres from Santiago, Chile (6 hours). Mendoza has also a new International Airport. It takes less than 2 hours to fly from Buenos Aires and less than 1 hour by plane from Santiago de Chile.

Mendoza public transport system includes buses, trolleys and taxi-cabs. Trolleys are slightly cheaper and more comfortable than city buses but not as widespread.

Trans-Andean Railway

Mendoza developed because of its position on the South Trans-Andean Railways where the Argentine and Chilean rail lines link. This line is currently out of use, but there are plans (2006) to restore it.

There is a break of gauge at Mendoza between the broad gauge line from the capital and the metre gauge of the Trans-Andean Railway. The Trans-Andean Railway is also a rack railway in some sections. Should this line be restored, there would be some sense in regauging the metre gauge section to join the broad gauge lines of Chile and Argentina directly.

Mendoza: Encyclopedia BETA

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