The ''Parque de España'' (Park of Spain) is an urban complex in

Rosario Rosario () is the largest city in the central provinces of Argentina, Argentine province of Santa Fe Province, Santa Fe. The city is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the west bank of the Paraná River. Rosario is the third-most populous ci ...

, Argentina. It comprises the

park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...

and a cultural centre, with a total surface area of 10,000 m², located near the historical centre of the city, on the coast of the

Paraná River The Paraná River ( es, Río Paraná, links=no , pt, Rio Paraná, gn, Ysyry Parana) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some ."Parana River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Br ...

. The park follows the shoreline of the Paraná, with grass and trees, paved paths for pedestrians, and a large parking lot. The cultural centre, on the north of the complex, was in part projected by the

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

urbanist Oriol Bohigas, and includes a 500-seat theatre, a conference room, three art exhibition galleries and a video library. The south facade of the building of the cultural centre is a set of outdoor stairs that climb meters from the lower level of the shore. The stairs themselves can seat up to 5,000 people for public shows performed in the park. The complex includes a "partnership school," established by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and directed by Spanish civil servants. The school is property of the Parque de España Complex Foundation since May 25, 1993. There are basic and advanced courses, with a triple orientation (Humanities, Science-Technology and Business). Students of the school gain the appropriate subject equivalences in the Spanish educational system.

History

The Spanish government funded the initiative to build a cultural center on lands granted by the Municipality of Rosario as part of the celebrations for the 500th anniversary of the first European landing in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

. The complex was inaugurated in November 1992 in the presence of Princess Cristina of Spain. The complex was managed by a foundation formed by the Spanish government, the Municipality of Rosario and the Federation of Spanish Associations of the

Province of Santa Fe The Province of Santa Fe ( es, Provincia de Santa Fe, ) is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco (divided by the 28th parallel south), Corrientes, Entre R� ...

. In 2002, by a new agreement, it was put in charge of the municipal government and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation. The cultural centre hosted some events of the

Third International Congress of the Spanish Language The Third International Congress of the Spanish Language (''Tercer Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española'') was a cultural event that took place in Rosario, Argentina, on November 17-19, 2004. The main topics of the Congress were three: i ...

, which took place in Rosario in November 2004.

The 2005 collapse

On March 13, 2005, at 12:30 p.m., about 500 m² of the central section of the park (a 50-metre-long strip of the concrete-based, cobblestone-paved pedestrian path) collapsed into the ravine of the Paraná River. Four people fell into the river and received minor injuries. The municipality immediately closed off a large perimeter of the park, and three days later a judicial order shut off all the piers of the central part of Rosario's coastline. President Néstor Kirchner promised to deliver 30 million pesos (about 10 million USD) of national funds for repairs, but the grant was delayed for almost two years. On February 27, 2007, the government announced a call for bids for the reconstruction of the piers, with an updated budget of AR$40 million (US$13 million).''La Capital'', 27 February 2007
''Arranca la reconstrucción de los muelles del parque España''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parque de Espana Espana Buildings and structures in Rosario, Santa Fe Convention centres in Argentina Arts centres in Argentina Rosario, Santa Fe Educational institutions established in 1992 Event venues established in 1992 Tourist attractions in Rosario, Santa Fe 1992 establishments in Argentina