GRAN MENDOZA

The Greater Mendoza Area comprises the City of Mendoza and the Departments of Godoy Cruz, Las Heras, Guaymallen, Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo. Here we find a great number of tourist attractions and many destinations for tourists.

GODOY CRUZ

With more than 200,000 inhabitants living on a surface of 200 square kms, Godoy Cruz is one of the most important cities of the Mendoza Province. It has a close functional relation with the neighbouring departments: the City of Mendoza, Guaymallen, Las Heras, Lujan de Cuyo and Maipu.

Godoy Cruz acquired city status on February 9, 1909 and its name was given as homage to Doctor Tomas Godoy Cruz, a Mendoza representative to the Tucuman Congress and a Province Governor.

The square and monument in honour of godoy Cruz, a famous legislator was inaugurated in 1924, and since that date it became the urban axis of the city. Surrounded by the streets of Rivadavia, Colon, Lavalle and Perito Moreno, here we find the best architecture of the historical patrimony of the town.

The most prominent buildings are the ones of the Honorable Concejo Deliberante (the oldest public building in Mendoza, built in 1889), the Town Hall, the movie theatre, and the San Vicente Ferrer Church.

The city carries out a growing commercial activity. Good examples are the Bodega Arizu on Avenida San Martin, the Bodega Escorihuela on Avenida Alvar, and the Palmares Open Mall on the Panamerican Route.

The San Vicente Ferrer Church
It is located in the so called Civic and Historical Centre. It has a neo-Gothic style and was built between the years 1906 and 1912. Before 1861 it was located in another place that was partially destroyed.

During the XVII century, the Dominican order had a convent there and the process of converting the inhabitants of this area began there.

The first record of a cult of San Vicente is registered in the family oratory built in 1753 on the estate of Don Tomas Coria, a descendant of the Spanish Captain Juan Coria y Bohorquez.

On the west side of the church we find a grotto with an image of the Virgin of Lourdes and an outdoors Calvary. It is located on Lavalle Street N° 60.

The Calvary
The Calvario de la Carrodilla is a religious site attended by many believers. It was created by the Franciscan priest Francisco Aymont, who, after being thrown out of Spain, made the promise of building three Calvaries in memory of the Passion of Christ. He built the one in Mendoza, one in La Rioja and the third one in Catamarca. During Easter the traditional blessing of olive branches is carried out and the faithful follow the Via Crucis. It was built in 1844 and was remodelled in 1996.