Avellaneda Park
Encyclopedia
Avellaneda Park is a public park in the Parque Avellaneda
section of Buenos Aires
.
, in 1866.
The Olivera family sold the estate to the city of Buenos Aires in 1912 and, under the direction of City Parks Commissioner Charles Thays, the land was inaugurated as Olivera Park in 1914 (Olivera Park was renamed in honor of former President Nicolás Avellaneda
later that year). The 50 hectare (125 acre) park was the city's largest continuous green space and in 1916, the city installed its municipal tree farm
on the park's western end for landscaping needs throughout Buenos Aires. Educator Antonio Zaccagnini opened a school for disabled children on the park's eastern end in 1925 and in 1930, following the passing of the Director of the Buenos Aires Zoo
, Clemente Onelli, the ridable miniature railway
he had instaled at the zoo for children was relocated to Avellaneda Park.
The widening of Francisco Bilbao Avenue during the 1950s separated an 8 hectare (20 acre) southern section of the park, which was converted for use by Edenor
, the public electric utility serving the area. The most dramatic change in the park's dimensions, however, took place after military-appointed Mayor Osvaldo Cacciatore
's expropriation of a wide swath along Bilbao Avenue in 1977. The land was slated for the Perito Moreno Freeway, one of eight Cacciatore approved (though only three were built). Opened in 1980, the freeway's toll plaza takes up much of what was the park's southern section. These developments and nationwide economic malaise during the 1980s contributed to the park's decline. The first reversal of this came in 1989, when the former Olivera mansion was reopened as a cultural center, following years of disuse. A descendant of the mansion's namesake family, Enrique Olivera, became Mayor of Buenos Aires following the election of his predecessor, Fernando de la Rúa
, to the Argentine Presidency. As Vice-Mayor, Olivera had initiated restoration projects for the ailing park and in July 2000, he reopened the Onelli miniature railway and inaugurated the Remedy Farm Cultural Center, an homage to the land's original use.
Parque Avellaneda
Parque Avellaneda is a neighbourhood located in the Southwest of Buenos Aires. It is named after Nicolás Avellaneda, former President of Argentina and originated in a 1755 deed given to the Brotherhood of Holy Charity of Jesus Christ...
section of 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...
.
Overview
Nearly 5 km (3 mi) west of colonial Buenos Aires (little more than a hamlet at the time), an extensive plot of land was deeded in 1755 to the Brotherhood of the Holy Charity of Jesus Christ, who established an orphanage and the area's largest herbal remedy plantation. The "Remedy Farm" was purchased by Domingo Olivera in 1828, who maintained the herbal plantation and established the newly indepent nation's first agricultural research station there. His son, Eduardo, became a licenced agronomist, a founding member of the influential Argentine Rural Society and organizer of the country's first agricultural expositionLa Rural
La Exposición Rural , is an annual agricultural and livestock show held in the Palermo section of Buenos Aires, Argentina...
, in 1866.
The Olivera family sold the estate to the city of Buenos Aires in 1912 and, under the direction of City Parks Commissioner Charles Thays, the land was inaugurated as Olivera Park in 1914 (Olivera Park was renamed in honor of former President Nicolás Avellaneda
Nicolás Avellaneda
Nicolás Remigio Aurelio Avellaneda Silva was an Argentine politician and journalist, and president of Argentina from 1874 to 1880. Avellaneda's main projects while in office were banking and education reform, leading to Argentina's economic growth...
later that year). The 50 hectare (125 acre) park was the city's largest continuous green space and in 1916, the city installed its municipal tree farm
Tree farm
A tree farm is a privately owned forest managed for timber production. The term tree farm is also used to refer to plantations and to tree nurseries.-American Tree Farm System:...
on the park's western end for landscaping needs throughout Buenos Aires. Educator Antonio Zaccagnini opened a school for disabled children on the park's eastern end in 1925 and in 1930, following the passing of the Director of the Buenos Aires Zoo
Buenos Aires Zoo
The Buenos Aires Zoo is an zoo in the Palermo district of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Zoo contains 89 species of mammals, 49 species of reptiles and 175 species of birds, with a total of over 2,500 different animals...
, Clemente Onelli, the ridable miniature railway
Ridable miniature railway
A ridable miniature railway is a ground-level, large scale model railway that hauls passengers using locomotives that are models of full-sized railway locomotives .-Overview:Typically they have a rail track gauge between and , though both larger and...
he had instaled at the zoo for children was relocated to Avellaneda Park.
The widening of Francisco Bilbao Avenue during the 1950s separated an 8 hectare (20 acre) southern section of the park, which was converted for use by Edenor
Edenor
Edenor is the largest Argentine distributor of electricity. It's headquartered in Buenos Aires.Purchasing a majority stake in the newly-privatized Segba utility in 1992, the company has an exclusive concession to distribute electricity in the northwestern section of Greater Buenos Aires, and in...
, the public electric utility serving the area. The most dramatic change in the park's dimensions, however, took place after military-appointed Mayor Osvaldo Cacciatore
Osvaldo Cacciatore
Osvaldo Cacciatore was an Argentine Air Force officer and former de facto Mayor of Buenos Aires during the National Reorganization Process military dictatorship.-Early life:Osvaldo Andrés Cacciatore was born in Buenos Aires in 1924...
's expropriation of a wide swath along Bilbao Avenue in 1977. The land was slated for the Perito Moreno Freeway, one of eight Cacciatore approved (though only three were built). Opened in 1980, the freeway's toll plaza takes up much of what was the park's southern section. These developments and nationwide economic malaise during the 1980s contributed to the park's decline. The first reversal of this came in 1989, when the former Olivera mansion was reopened as a cultural center, following years of disuse. A descendant of the mansion's namesake family, Enrique Olivera, became Mayor of Buenos Aires following the election of his predecessor, Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa is an Argentine politician. He was president of the country from December 10, 1999 to December 21, 2001 for the Alliance for Work, Justice and Education ....
, to the Argentine Presidency. As Vice-Mayor, Olivera had initiated restoration projects for the ailing park and in July 2000, he reopened the Onelli miniature railway and inaugurated the Remedy Farm Cultural Center, an homage to the land's original use.