Villa Mercedes, San Luis
Encyclopedia
Villa Mercedes is a city in the province
of San Luis
, Argentina
. It lies on the center-east of the province, on the left-hand banks of the Quinto River
, 32 km from the border with Córdoba
, on National Route 148, and near the intersection of National Routes 8 and 7
. National Route 7 links the city to the provincial capital San Luis
, 90 km to the north-west. It had 96,781 inhabitants during the .
The city was founded by Governor Justo Daract
on or around December 1, 1856, as Fortín Constitucional, a mixed civilian-military fort, to protect the territory against attacks
by the Ranquel
aboriginal tribes. The original name was changed in 1861 to Villa Mercedes by decision of the residents, who had adopted the Virgin of Mercy (Virgen de las Mercedes) as their patron.
Villa Mercedes grew quickly after a railway line from Villa María
on the Central Argentine
line between Rosario
and Córdoba
, reached the town in 1875. Built by the State-owned company Ferrocarril Andino
, the line was extended to San Juan
in 1885 via San Luis
and Mendoza
. The line from Villa Mercedes to Mendoza would become the middle section of the route from Buenos Aires
to the border with Chile
and was bought by the Argentine Great Western Railway
in 1887 and later became part of the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway
network.
Villa Mercedes was officially declared a city in 1896. It is now the second largest in San Luis, and an industrial and educational center, hosting a branch of the National University of San Luis
.
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of San Luis
San Luis Province
San Luis is a province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country . Neighboring provinces are, from the north clockwise, La Rioja, Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza and San Juan.-History:...
, 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 lies on the center-east of the province, on the left-hand banks of the Quinto River
Quinto River
The Quinto River , also known as the Popopis, is in central Argentina.It rises in Sierra de San Luis near the Retama mountain in San Luis Province. The Quinto flows to the southeast. Near the Paso de las Carreteras dam, the Quinto River begins to flow though the Pampas. It passes Villa Mercedes...
, 32 km from the border with Córdoba
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
, on National Route 148, and near the intersection of National Routes 8 and 7
National Route 7 (Argentina)
National Route 7 is a road in Argentina. It crosses the country from east to west, from the capital to the border with Chile, thus linking the Atlantic coast with the Andes, crossing the provinces of Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Córdoba, San Luis and Mendoza...
. National Route 7 links the city to the provincial capital San Luis
San Luis, Argentina
-External links:* * *...
, 90 km to the north-west. It had 96,781 inhabitants during the .
The city was founded by Governor Justo Daract
Justo Daract
Justo Daract was an Argentine politician who served as governor of San Luis Province and in the Argentine Senate and Argentine Chamber of Deputies, representing that province.-Life and times:...
on or around December 1, 1856, as Fortín Constitucional, a mixed civilian-military fort, to protect the territory against attacks
Malón
Malón or maloca was a military raiding tactic of the Mapuche peoples from the 17th to the 19th centuries.The "maloca" among the Mapuche is described as a means of obtaining justice, by Juan Ignacio Molina:...
by the Ranquel
Ranquel
The Ranquel are an indigenous tribe from the northern part of La Pampa Province, Argentina, in South America. They are part of the Mapuche, with Puelche origins, Pehuenche and also Patagones from the Günün-a-Küna group.-Name:...
aboriginal tribes. The original name was changed in 1861 to Villa Mercedes by decision of the residents, who had adopted the Virgin of Mercy (Virgen de las Mercedes) as their patron.
Villa Mercedes grew quickly after a railway line from Villa María
Villa María
Villa María is a city in Córdoba Province, Argentina, and the head town of the General San Martín Department. It is located in the center of rich agricultural land. The area leads the country in production of milk...
on the Central Argentine
Central Argentine Railway
The Central Argentine Railway was one of the Big Four broad gauge, , British-owned companies that built and operated railway networks in Argentina...
line between Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
and Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
, reached the town in 1875. Built by the State-owned company Ferrocarril Andino
Ferrocarril Andino
The Ferrocarril Andino was a state-owned company in Argentina which, towards the end of the 19th century, built and operated a railway connecting Villa María in Córdoba Province with the cities of Mendoza and San Juan...
, the line was extended to San Juan
San Juan, Argentina
San Juan is the capital city of the Argentine province of San Juan in the Cuyo region, located in the Tulúm Valley, west of the San Juan River, at above mean sea level, with a population of around 112,000 as per the ....
in 1885 via San Luis
San Luis, Argentina
-External links:* * *...
and Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
. The line from Villa Mercedes to Mendoza would become the middle section of the route 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...
to the border with Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and was bought by the Argentine Great Western Railway
Argentine Great Western Railway
The Argentine Great Western Railway was a British-owned railway company, founded in 1887, that operated a broad gauge, , railway network in the Argentine provinces of San Luis, San Juan and Mendoza...
in 1887 and later became part of the Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway
Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway
The Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway was one of the Big Four broad gauge, , British-owned companies that built and operated railway networks in Argentina....
network.
Villa Mercedes was officially declared a city in 1896. It is now the second largest in San Luis, and an industrial and educational center, hosting a branch of the National University of San Luis
National University of San Luis
The National University of San Luis is a public university in Argentina, with its seat in the city of San Luis, capital of the province of the same name, in the Cuyo region...
.