CÓRDOBA: a surprising history

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Argentina's second largest city was the next stop. With a long history (older than Buenos Aires) and some large universities, the city has the reputation of being one of Argentina's think tanks.

On the streets however this was not very visible: huge shopping/pedestrian areas and car traffic; a few, small, parks; and museums with very restrictive open hours/days.

Cordoba,s history was a bit surprinsing for me. Once settled in Alto Perú (today's Bolivia), the Spaniards searched for a route to the Río de la Plata port in the Atlantic to transport the Peruvian gold and silver to Europe. Córdoba de la Nueva Andalucía was founded as a middle point on that route on July 6, 1573 by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera following orders from Lima of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo. The Jesuit order founded important education institutes including the National University of Córdoba, Argentina's first university, in 1622.

The city continued to grow as an important cultural center, supported by the trade of precious metals from Peru. it wasn't until 1783, seven years after the consolidation of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, that the Intendency of Córdoba became the capital of what now includes the La Rioja, Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis Province, dividing the former Tucumán Intendency in two. Before the Spanish conquista the region was inhabited by indigenous groups like the Comechingones and Sanavirones.

The weather as I arrived to Cordoba was rainy and cloudy, but it improved completely in the days I stayed there.

 

A small street between Cathedral and Prefectura is the place where the Museo de la Memoria is located, in rooms previously used as police station. This space in the centre of town is dedicated to the memories of the hundreds of people that disappeared between the late 1970s and early 1980s, during Argentina's Dirty War. As a group, they are known as the ‘Desaparecidos’ or ‘the disappeared’.

 

 

 

The Jesuits block is a cultural section in the city center where several museums are located next to each other, all over the premises of the former Jesuit monastery. The complex includes an old and nice library with a good collection of very old maps (17th and 18th century) of south america. Unfortunately no photos were allowed.

The comercial / pedestrian area includes several streests around the main square. Also in this zone are the numerous catholic churches from all the important orders existing at the time of the conquista.

 

This time I stayed in a hotel and had no other new contacts, but met Uli accidentally at the main square when goiing to buy ice cream. Another smal coincidence was that the receptionist at her hostel was the same tour guide that had showed me and explained in detail the Jesuist museums in the morning. Argentineans need more than one job these days!

Córdoba has a modern and well organized bus terminal.

And a nice art museum, where pictures are ALSO not allowed.

One main topic in the local press is the announcement of an agreement between the argentinean goverment and the spanish oil company Reposol, where Argentina will pay 5.000 millions USD to compensate Repsol for the nacionalization of its operations in Argentina a couple of years ago. Another main topic is the national strike of school teachers, 1 week before the beginning of the new school year.

Bife de chorizo for 55 Ar$  (4€). The exchange rate at the "blue" market is about 40% higher than the official rate!! it pays to bring cash with you. The guys buying dollars are called "arbolitos" because they stay the whole day in the parks, asking tourists if they want to change money.

This was my first contact on this trip with argentinean steaks; it wouldn't be the last one!