THE CITY

The streets are full of trees, as few are in the world, with a remarkable net of irrigation ditches and canals, beautiful squares, modern buildings and active trade, parks and neighbourhoods that climb the mountains towards the sky, in short, Mendoza is all that, besides being a synonym for well-being and peace.

Mendoza citizens love their gardens. And that explains all their love and perseverance to attempt the transformation of their streets into true pedestrian gardens where the traveller can enjoy Mendoza's oasis-like environment.

In its metropolitan area Mendoza encompasses 11,000 hectares and includes the City of Mendoza, Godoy Cruz, Guaymallen, Las Heras, Lujan de Cuyo and Maipu.

For two decades its population has grown slowly in the capital but, on the contrary, it has grown very fast in rural areas, which has caused human beings to alter the landscape.

Pedro del Castillo founded it in the year 1561, and it was named Mendoza in honour of the General Captain of Chile, don Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza, and his father, don Andres Hurtado de Mendoza, a very important Peruvian Viceroy.

Its initial layout had a 5x5 blocks nucleus. Following Spanish tradition, the Plaza Mayor Main Square was built in the center, and around it were the Iglesia Matriz (Main Church), the Cabildo (Town Council), the Convent and the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesus (a Jesuit Church), and a few houses of prominent citizens.

The colonial city expanded between the Guaymallen and Tajamar canals (the former today is a pipe that runs under San Martin Ave.).

A few centuries later, on March 20th 1861, when the town had began its urban and economic progress, a violent earthquake destroyed it. Two years later, French land surveyor Balloffet traced a new city to the southwest of the devastated town, having what is now Plaza Independencia Square as its centre.

The new city incorporated an innovation to its style: filling squares, streets and avenues with trees. For that purpose an intercommunicated irrigation network and then a modern irrigation system was created, similar to the one used in farming fields. For that reason Mendoza is known as the Oasis City, and is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Argentina.

The tourist may begin the visit to the city from the Zona Antigua (Old Quarter).