Mercedes () is a city in
Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is located 100 km (62 miles) west from
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
and 30 km (18 miles) southwest of
Luján. It is the administrative headquarters for the district (''
partido'') of Mercedes as well as of the judicial district. The
Catedral Basílica de Mercedes-Luján, located in the city, is the seat of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mercedes-Luján.
Mercedes has a population of 51,967 people (51,5% women, 48,5% men) as per the .
History
Mercedes was first established as a fortress against
native indigenous attacks. Its original name was "''La Guardia de Luján''" and it was one of several fortress built in the ''borders'' of Buenos Aires to protect this city and gather the people living in the county near.
It became a town on 25 June 1752 when founded by José de Zárate during a military campaign known as "''La Valerosa''". In 1777 viceroy
Pedro de Cevallos proposed moving the town, but actually it was moved to its present location by viceroy Juan José de Vértiz on 8 May 1779. When moved its name was changed to "''Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes''".
Mercedes is one of the few towns in Argentina in which three different railways meet, thus been connected with large commercial areas as Buenos Aires as well as the Pacific Ocean, the
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
range and the
pampas
The Pampas (from the qu, pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all of Uruguay; and Brazi ...
plains. This was a powerful reason during the 19th century for proposing the city as the capital of Buenos Aires Province. Finally
La Plata became capital, but Mercedes became known as the "West Pearl".
In 1812 the
Mercedes Partido was established because of the city's increasing population and commercial activities. The first municipal government was elected in 1856. Then-governor of Buenos Aires, Mariano Saavedra, officially named it "Ciudad de Mercedes" in 1865, the same year that railway came to Mercedes for the first time.
Churches
The most important
churches in the city are:
*
Our Lady of Mercedes Cathedral located on San Martín square, also the location of the
italianate
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style drew its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian ...
"Palacio Municipal" (city hall) and numerous cafés and restaurants. A library founded by President
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (; born Domingo Faustino Fidel Valentín Sarmiento y Albarracín; 15 February 1811 – 11 September 1888) was an Argentine activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and the second President of Argentina. His writing s ...
is located a few streets away. Built in
neogothic
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
style and inaugurated on April 16, 1921, in 1934 received "cathedral" status by Pope bull. The Cathedral was declared National Monument of Argentina by a decree signed by president
Cristina Fernández
Cristina is a female given name, and it is also a surname. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
* Cristina (daughter of Edward the Exile), 11th-century English princess
* Cristina (singer), Cristina Monet-Palaci (1956–2020), American ...
in 2010.
* St. Patrick's Church: Inaugurated on March 17, 1932 and remodeled in 2003, it has 2,500 m2 and a large number of vitraux, a figure representing
St. Patrick among them. This church also has the largest
pipe organ in
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
, with 4,700 tubes. It was directly brought from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. A group of
gargoyle
In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...
s (18 in total) decorate the exterior of the church.
* St. Luis Gonzaga Church: designated by architect
Pedro Benoit
Pedro Benoit (February 18, 1836 – April 4, 1897) was an Argentine architect, engineer, and urbanist best known for designing the layout of the city of La Plata.
Life and times
Pedro Benoit was born in Buenos Aires in 1836 to María Josefa ...
('s son), is the oldest in the city, having been inaugurated as a chapel in 1891, after twelve years of construction. The chapel received "church" status in December 1941.
Transport
Railway
Mercedes has three railway stations, with two of them still active: Mercedes (Sarmiento) is terminus of the
Sarmiento Line diesel branch from
Moreno
Moreno may refer to:
Places Argentina
*Moreno (Buenos Aires Metro), a station on Line C of the Buenos Aires Metro
*Moreno, Buenos Aires, a city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
* Moreno Department, a depatnent of Santiago del Estero Province, ...
and Mercedes (San Martín) is part of the
San Martín Railway line where long-distance services are operated by state-owned companies
Trenes Argentinos
Operadora Ferroviaria Sociedad del Estado (abbreviated SOFSE; trading name: Trenes Argentinos Operaciones) is an Argentine state-owned company created in 2008 to operate passenger services in Argentina. It is a subsidiary of the Ferrocarriles Ar ...
and
Ferrobaires to
Rufino and Alberdi respectively. The station was originally built by the
Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway. Mercedes Sarmiento and San Martín are also located few meters to one another.
The third station is Mercedes (Belgrano), originally built by
French-owned
Compañía General and inactive since the 1970s. That station is far from the city's commercial area.
Railway stations with the name "Mercedes" are:
Notes:
*
1 ''The building is currently occupied by several non-profit associations.''
Road
Mercedes can be reached from the city of
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
by the "Acceso Oeste" and then by National Route 5 until km. 100. From the city of
Lobos by Provincial Route 41 to the north (80-km length) and from
Chivilcoy by Route 5 to the northwest. The city can also be reached from
San Antonio de Areco
San Antonio de Areco is a city in northern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, and administrative seat of the partido of San Antonio de Areco. It is located on the Areco River away from Buenos Aires city, the country's capital.
San Antonio de A ...
after completing 50 km-length (31 km) by Provincial Route 41.
Mercedes has a
bus terminal, located near the Mercedes (Sarmiento) railway station.
Geography
Location
The city of Mercedes is 34° 39'south latitude and 59° 25' west longitude, along the Luján River. It is 35 km (30 min by car) from the city of
Luján, one of the most important religious center and pilgrimage of Argentina; 100 km (62 mi) from
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
and, 152 km (94 mi) from
La Plata, capital of the province.
Climate
The climate of this region is the Mesopotamian type temperate humid with an annual average of 16 °C (60.8 °F). The winter is mild with average temperatures of 9 °C (48.2 °F), while the summer is mild with an average temperature of 23 °C (73.4 °F).
Popular culture
On the outskirts of Mercedes there is an old ''pulpería'' or rural bar and store, institutions which enjoy mythical status in
gaucho
A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired and ...
culture. Known as "''lo de Cacho''" (Cacho's), it claims to be the last pulpería of the
Pampas
The Pampas (from the qu, pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all of Uruguay; and Brazi ...
and retains the atmosphere of 1850, the year it opened. There is an original
wanted poster
A wanted poster (or wanted sign) is a poster distributed to let the public know of a person whom authorities wish to apprehend. They generally include a picture of the person, either a photograph when one is available or of a facial composite ...
for the outlaw
Juan Moreira
Juan Moreira (? - April 1874) is a well-known figure in the history of Argentina. An outlaw, gaucho and folk-hero, he is considered one of the most renowned Argentinian rural bandits.
Early life
Moreira was born in the administrative area of La ...
and reminders of gauchos, their culture and knife fights.
There is an old war memorial called "''La Cruz de Palo''". It is a wooden cross remembering where the last of the
native attacks to Mercedes took place on 27 October 1823.
Mercedes is known for its
peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-f ...
es and
salami
Salami ( ) is a cured sausage consisting of fermented and air-dried meat, typically pork. Historically, salami was popular among Southern, Eastern, and Central European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for up to 45 days ...
, been the venue for the National Peach Fair (''Fiesta Nacional del Durazno'') as well as the National Salami Fair (''Fiesta Nacional del Salame Quintero''). Both fairs have their own queen elected each year.
Miscellanea
Mercedes has been the birthplace of several football players (
Lucas Biglia), musicians, writers and journalists. Nevertheless, it is most known as the town where president
Héctor José Cámpora was born as well as the military dictator and president
Jorge Rafael Videla
Jorge Rafael Videla (; ; 2 August 1925 – 17 May 2013) was an Argentine military officer and dictator, Commander in Chief of the Army, member of the Military Junta, and ''de facto'' President of Argentina from 29 March 1976 to 29 March 1981. H ...
.
The city was organized by a-hundred-meters-long square blocks (as a Roman
castra). The streets are numbered with even numbers from South to North and with odd numbers from East to West. Thus, is really easy to orient, find addresses and calculate distances along the city.
Gallery
File:San Martín en Mercedes.JPG, Statue of José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and centr ...
File:Municipalidad de Mercedes.JPG, Municipal building
File:Estatua a Mitre en Mercedes.JPG, Statue of Bartolomé Mitre
File:Mercedes - Iglesia - 200808c.jpg, Church of Saint Patrick
File:Mercedes station fcbelgrano.jpg, Belgrano Railway train station
File:Palacio de Tribunales de Mercedes.JPG, Palace of Justice
File:Centro cultural Giosio.JPG, Argentine Theatre
External links
''Intendencia de Mercedes'' (City hall of Mercedes)Mercedes NewspaperMercedes News 24 hours*
{{Authority control
Cities in Argentina
Populated places in Buenos Aires Province
Populated places established in 1752
1750s establishments in the Viceroyalty of Peru
1752 establishments in South America