Easily the most stylish, residential and illustrious of all the barrios or neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires, Belgrano evokes the figure of general Manuel Belgrano (1770-1820), admired founding father, military hero and Argentinean politician who participated in the first Government junta in 1810, the creator of the National flag in 1812, and in command of the Northern Army in 1816, where he gained important victories in battles in the provinces of Tucumn and Salta.

The land of the present neighbourhood was called La Calera, due to the limestone quarries that existed there and from which the first churches in the city were built.

However, the origins of this neighbourhood go back to the general store called La Blanqueada, set up there at the start of the XIX Century. A little village grew up around this store and organised itself around a central square, a church, the municipality and the houses of its most prominent and notable citizens.

As early as 1855 there was already quite a small town and in 1880 it was officially founded by Valentn Alsina, who established himself in the elegant streets of Echeverra and 11 de Setiembre. During the Avellaneda presidency it was the Nation's capital for an interlude of five months, and in 1883 it received its city charter.

Today, Belgrano has become one of the key neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, although it has a life of its own.

It's a country by itself, as its inhabitants like to say, and they refer to their living space, full of superbly built municipal buildings, high-income private homes and apartments, important school facilities, refined squares with attractive tree stands to enjoy, attractive recreational areas for all ages, and high class restaurants with excellent cuisine.

This elegant neighbourhood is divided into three areas: "Belgrano R", Central or "Belgrano Central" and Lower or "Bajo Belgrano".

Bajo Belgrano is the area closest to the river and the racing course, extending from the railroad station Belgrano C, of the Mitre railroad line, all the way to the Avenida Figueroa Alcorta. This area, well known because it is mentioned in several Tango pieces, was a popular place for riverside meetings and in the slum, with its stone paved streets, you could find studs for the horses that used to race in the close by Palermo race course.

Belgrano Central has the Avenida Cabildo with its loud feverish activity and in the very heart of the district you can find the Avenida Juramento, in which street blocks you will find art, history and the local faith in a harmonious blend.

Belgrano R is a very elegant residential area, with big houses built in English country side style, surrounded by shady trees and luxuriant gardens, giving rise to an air of manorial superiority. Here the traditional petit-hotels are still to be found.

This part of the neighbourhood received a strong foreign influence, through the influx of British and German immigrants that appreciated the pleasing characteristics of the area.

All this makes Belgrano into an intensely cultural neighbourhood, with its traditional mansions and many manor houses now converted into consulates and embassies.

Its quiet streets and tree esplanades are full of shops, restaurants, architectural treasures, museums, libraries and large green spaces.

Many public transport tram and bus lines link it to the rest of the city, i.e. two of the Mitre tramline with its end station at Retiro, and the "D" line of the Underground or subway, to be taken on the Avenida Cabildo.