Nogoyá () is a city in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of Entre Ríos, Argentina. It has 22,824 inhabitants per the and is the head town of the Nogoyá Department. It lies in the province's southwest, by the Nogoyá Stream (a tributary of the

Paraná River The Paraná River ( ; ; ) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some ."Parana River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. ...

), about 95 km southeast from the provincial capital Paraná, on National Route 12.

History

The town of Nogoyá has a rich history that dates back to around 1760, when it started as an informal settlement by the Nogoyá River. The name 'Nogoyá' itself means 'Wild Water'. In 1782, Father Fernando Andrés Quiroga y Taboada built a chapel to serve the region. This place of worship, now the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Carmen, served as a focal point for more settlers and is considered the foundational event of Nogoyá. Nogoyá, a town rich in culture, was recognized as a town in 1826. There is no exact date for the foundation's anniversary. Still, locals observe City Celebration Day on July 16, the same day that

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

s celebrate the Virgin under the invocation of "Nuestra Señora del Carmen;" She is considered the spiritual mother of the town. Every year, on July 16, the venerated image is taken out of the temple and carried by volunteers through the streets of Nogoyá, followed by thousands of pilgrims. At the end of her pilgrimage, she returns to the Basilica, receiving a salute of white tissues shaken in the air by the multitude. The image is honored with a unique crown, called ''Alianza de las Alianzas'' ("alliance of alliances"), made of gold and jewelry, including wedding rings, offered by settlers. Cipriano Urquiza, the brother of provincial ''caudillo''

Justo José de Urquiza Justo José de Urquiza y García (; October 18, 1801 – April 11, 1870) was an Argentine general and politician who served as president of the Argentine Confederation from 1854 to 1860. Life Justo José de Urquiza y García was bor ...

, was murdered in Nogoyá in 1844. In 1849, the town was assigned its own ''Partido'', or county, and made its capital. In 1860, the city was the convention seat that reformed Entre Ríos's Constitution. The Entre Ríos Central Railway arrived in Nogoyá in 1887. A center of

cattle ranch A ranch (from /Mexican Spanish) is an area of landscape, land, including various structures, given primarily to ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle and sheep. It is a subtype of farm. These terms are most often ap ...

ing in the 19th century, the area around Nogoyá has seen significant economic growth. From a growing number of

dairy farm Dairy farming is a class of agriculture for the long-term production of milk, which is processed (either on the farm or at a dairy plant, either of which may be called a dairy) for the eventual sale of a dairy product. Dairy farming has a h ...

s during the 20th century to the establishment of ''La Sibila'', the most significant

dairy A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

that now processes over 1,000,000 liters of

powdered milk Powdered milk, also called milk powder, dried milk, or dry milk, is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it; milk powder has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and do ...

a day, Nogoyá's economy is thriving. Other critical installations include a

Molinos Río de la Plata Molinos Río de la Plata ( BCBA: MOLI) is Argentina's largest branded food products company. The company is a large exporter of sunflower processed oil and is one of Argentina's main exporters of bottled oil. Molinos also produces a wide range of ...

mill, Nogopaint, and a

microbrewery Craft beer is beer manufactured by craft breweries, which typically produce smaller amounts of beer than larger "macro" breweries and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as emphasising enthusiasm, ne ...

, Cerveza Nogoyá. The completion of the

Rosario-Victoria Bridge Rosario-Victoria Bridge (in Spanish, ''Puente Rosario-Victoria'') is the informal name of the physical connection between the Argentine cities of Rosario (province of Santa Fe) and Victoria (province of Entre Ríos). This roadlink is compose ...

in 2003, which gave Nogoyá a direct highway link to

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

, further bolstered the city's economy.

Economy

The main economic activity in the area is the

dairy industry A dairy is a place where milk is stored and where butter, cheese, and other dairy products are made, or a place where those products are sold. It may be a room, a building, or a larger establishment. In the United States, the word may also des ...

(producing milk and cheese), which makes Nogoyá the unofficial dairy capital in Entre Ríos. Agriculture is also significant, featuring wheat, corn, sorghum, sunflower, and soybean crops. Additionally, Nogoyá has gained recognition as the hometown of Emilia Mernes, a prominent singer and actress whose international success has brought cultural attention to the city.

Notable people

Roque Alfaro Roque Raúl Alfaro (born 15 August 1956 in Nogoyá, Entre Ríos) is an Argentine football manager and former player who played as a striker. Playing career Alfaro started his professional career with Newell's Old Boys in the mid-1970s. In 19 ...

(born 1956), football player and coach *

Fermín Chávez Fermín Chávez (Nogoyá 13 July 1924 – 28 May 2006) was an Argentine historian, poet and journalist, born in El Pueblito, a small town near Nogoyá, province of Entre Ríos. He studied humanities in Córdoba, philosophy in Buenos Aires, an ...

(1924–2004), historian * Carlos Contín (1915–1991), Governor of Entre Ríos (1963–66) and Chairman of the UCR (1981–83) * Juan Carlos Ghiano (born 1920), writer, essayist and playwright * Raymundo Salvat (1881–1940), lawyer, author of the Treaty on Civil Law * Luis María Sobrón (1932–2010), poet * Juan León Solas (1787–1841), military governor of Entre Ríos *

Emilia Mernes María Emilia Mernes (born 29 October 1996), known mononymously as Emilia, is an Argentine singer, songwriter, model, and actress. She began her career as the lead vocalist of the Uruguayan cumbia pop band Rombai. After two years since joinin ...

(b.1996), singer, songwriter, dancer and model.

Notes

References

*
Portal of Nogoyá

Diario Nogoyá
(the first local newspaper).

at TurismoEntreRios.com. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nogoya Populated places in Entre Ríos Province Populated places established in 1782 1782 establishments in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata