Azul, Buenos Aires
Encyclopedia
Azul is the head city of the Azul Partido
, located at the center of the Buenos Aires Province
in Argentina
, 300 km south of Buenos Aires
. It has 63,000 inhabitants as per the .
Its principal, goods-producing economic activities are agriculture
and the raising of cattle for meat exports. Home to a dynamic services sector, over 2,000 commercial businesses are registered in the city.
The town was founded on December 16, 1832, following Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas
' orders for the construction of a fort, San Serapio Mártir del Arroyo Azul, to guard against indigenous raids. Subsequent land grant
s led to the developemt of a stable community, and in 1895, Azul was formally declared a town by provincial authorities. The local cathedral, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, was consecrated in 1906.
The town's cemetery portal and main slaughterhouse were both designed by architect Francisco Salamone
, and contain elements of Art Deco style. Built in the late 1930s, these buildings were some of the first examples of modern architecture in rural Argentina. The town was the scene of an attack on outlying Army barracks by the far-left ERP
on January 19, 1974, the most violent siege of its type in the country up to that point.
Azul is home to the schools of Agronomy and Law of the National University of Central Buenos Aires. The Teatro Español, founded in the city in 1897, is among the most important of the central pampas area, and in 1992, hosted the Bolshoi Ballet
.
The Miguel de Cervantes
Festival is held there annually since 2007, and Casa Ronco, an antiquarian library and museum, maintains among the country's best collections relating to the noted Spanish writer. The Casa Ronco is named after the collector Batolomé Ronco. Azul was declared Argentina's "City of Cervantes" by UNESCO
in 2007.
Azul Partido
Azul is a central partido of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of 62,996 inhabitants in an area of 6,615 km² , and its capital city is Azul, which is located around 298 km from Buenos Aires.The province was founded on December 16,...
, located at the center of the 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...
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...
, 300 km south 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...
. It has 63,000 inhabitants as per the .
Its principal, goods-producing economic activities are agriculture
Agriculture in Argentina
Agriculture is one of the bases of Argentina's economy.Argentine agriculture is relatively capital intensive, today providing about 7% of all employment, and, even during its period of dominance around 1900, accounting for no more than a third of all labor. Having accounted for nearly 20% of GDP as...
and the raising of cattle for meat exports. Home to a dynamic services sector, over 2,000 commercial businesses are registered in the city.
The town was founded on December 16, 1832, following Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
' orders for the construction of a fort, San Serapio Mártir del Arroyo Azul, to guard against indigenous raids. Subsequent 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...
s led to the developemt of a stable community, and in 1895, Azul was formally declared a town by provincial authorities. The local cathedral, Nuestra Señora del Rosario, was consecrated in 1906.
The town's cemetery portal and main slaughterhouse were both designed by architect Francisco Salamone
Francisco Salamone
Francisco Salamone was an Argentine architect of Italian descent who, between 1936 and 1940, during the Infamous Decade, built more than 60 municipal buildings with elements of Art Deco style in 25 rural communities on the Argentine Pampas within the Buenos Aires Province...
, and contain elements of Art Deco style. Built in the late 1930s, these buildings were some of the first examples of modern architecture in rural Argentina. The town was the scene of an attack on outlying Army barracks by the far-left ERP
People's Revolutionary Army (Argentina)
The Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo was the military branch of the communist Partido Revolucionario de los Trabajadores in Argentina...
on January 19, 1974, the most violent siege of its type in the country up to that point.
Azul is home to the schools of Agronomy and Law of the National University of Central Buenos Aires. The Teatro Español, founded in the city in 1897, is among the most important of the central pampas area, and in 1992, hosted the Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Ballet
The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies, however it only achieved worldwide acclaim by the early 20th century, when Moscow became the...
.
The Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was a Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright. His magnum opus, Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel, is a classic of Western literature, and is regarded amongst the best works of fiction ever written...
Festival is held there annually since 2007, and Casa Ronco, an antiquarian library and museum, maintains among the country's best collections relating to the noted Spanish writer. The Casa Ronco is named after the collector Batolomé Ronco. Azul was declared Argentina's "City of Cervantes" by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in 2007.