From left to right and top to bottom: the Municipal Museum of Art Dr. Urbano Poggi, the San Rafael Cathedral, the Plaza 25 de Mayo, the Monument to San Martín, and the Rafaela Station.
Rafaela is a city in Argentina, located in the central-west region of the Santa Fe Province. It serves as the head of the Castellanos Department and is the third most populous and significant urban center in the province, following Rosario and the provincial capital, Santa Fe. The city is known as "The Pearl of the West" due to its natural, cultural, and architectural beauty. According to the socio-economic survey report by ICEDeL,[2] the city's statistical institute, Rafaela had an estimated population of 111,000 in 2022.
The city was named by its founder, Guillermo Lehmann, in honor of Rafaela Rodríguez de Egusquiza, the wife of his friend and business partner, Félix Egusquiza, who were the original owners of the area.
Rafaela is located in the central-western part of Santa Fe province, along National Route 34. It is situated 96 km northwest of Santa Fe city, 234 km from Rosario, 292 km from Córdoba, and 530 km from Buenos Aires. Additionally, its strategic location facilitates trade routes to the ports of the Pacific Ocean due to its proximity to National Route 19.
Economically, Rafaela stands out for its metalworking and dairy industry, being at the heart of the country's largest and richest dairy basin, making it a principal economic capital.[3] The city is considered a "Gateway to the World" due to its industrial connections with most American, European, Far Eastern, and Asia Minor countries.
Culturally, Rafaela is known as the "Capital of Theater" because of its numerous historic theaters such as the Centro Ciudad de Rafaela, with its Juan B. Lasserre Hall dating back to 1932, and the Sociedad Italiana. It also hosts cultural centers like Centro Cultural La Máscara, established in 1996, amphitheaters, and exhibition halls. Most notably, Rafaela is renowned for its traditional and acclaimed Theater Festival, held annually since 2005.
Architecture and Urban Landscape
Rafaela maintains a profile of low-rise houses and a marked contrast of styles across its neighborhoods. The first areas to develop, such as the main square "25 de Mayo," still show traces of the earliest houses. Additionally, older neighborhoods like San Martín (the oldest in the city), 9 de Julio, Sarmiento, Villa Rosas, and Alberdi were among the first to form.
Currently, the city has over 15 towers exceeding 10 stories, along with several other tall buildings. On Mitre Avenue, the two tallest towers in the city can be found: Torre Piamonte and Torre Mitre, both standing at 20 stories and 65 meters high.
Cobblestone streets are still present on the four main avenues and surrounding streets. The presence of these stones as a street covering generates ongoing debate about whether they should remain or be removed. The municipality regularly maintains them, and there are areas in perfect condition.
The quadrant bounded by Tucumán Street, Brasil Avenue, Aconcagua Avenue, and Santa Fe Boulevard, which encloses the neighborhoods of Alberdi, Sarmiento, and Villa Rosas, is the only area in the city where the streets run diagonally compared to the rest of the city. According to a historical account published by the local magazine "El Satélite," this layout dates back to the arrival of the railway, which required construction parallel to the rail lines, resulting in the current street pattern.
Neighborhoods of the City
The following is an alphabetical list of the 42 neighborhoods that make up the city:
17 de Octubre
2 de Abril
30 de Octubre
9 de Julio
Alberdi
Amancay
Antártida Argentina
Barranquitas
Barrio 42
Belgrano
Brigadier General Estanislao López
Central Córdoba
El Bosque
Fátima
Guillermo Lehmann
Ilolay
Independencia
Italia
Jardín
Juan de Garay
La Cañada
Los Arces
Los Nogales
Luis Fasoli
Malvinas Argentinas
Martín Fierro
Martín Güemes
Monseñor V. F. Zazpe
Mora
Mosconi
Nuestra Señora del Luján
Pablo Pizzurno
San José
San Martín
Sarmiento
Villa Aero Club
Villa del Parque
Villa Dominga
Villa Los Álamos
Villa Podio
Villa Rosas
Virgen del Rosario
Geography
According to the Municipality of Rafaela, the city has a population of 103,000 inhabitants, with 46.5% of the population being under 30 years old.[4] It is located in the central-west region of the Santa Fe province, 96km from the city of Santa Fe, 234km from Rosario, 292km from Córdoba, and 530km from Buenos Aires (the capital city of Argentina).
Expansion of the urban area of Rafaela 2000 - 2020
In general terms, the urban area extends across the Pampean plain, in what is known as the depressed pampas. The central terrain of the city is higher than the surrounding areas, with the slope decreasing towards the north and south. These depressions are the natural slopes through which water flows eastward, part of the Salado basin. For this reason, canals have been constructed on both sides of the city, running west-east. The southern canal has been buried along almost its entire length through the urban area.
The city's layout is in a grid pattern with a central square that covers four blocks and four boulevards that originate from it. The urban geography is homogeneous, except in the northwest area where the streets run diagonally. This abrupt change is due to Bartolomé Mitre Avenue, which was built to shorten the path to the train stations when the railway arrived in Rafaela in the 19th century. This has given a different character to a large part of the city.
The city borders Susana to the south (12 km), Lehmann to the north (12 km), Presidente Roca to the west (12 km), and Bella Italia to the east (12 km) from its main square, 25 de Mayo, forming the Rafaela Metropolitan Area. It has 37 neighborhoods and a microcenter.[5] The National Route 34 has been restructured as it passes through the city, turning it into an avenue with central medians along its entire length, connecting the neighborhoods located to the west.
Unlike many other Argentine cities of similar size, Rafaela is not located on a coast or riverbank, sharing this characteristic with its neighboring city, San Francisco.
Role of citizen participation in planning
In 2008 the municipality of Rafaela created the Department of Administration and Participation (Secretaria de Gestión y Participación, SGP) and after that the government started implementing a process of Participatory budgeting,[6] based on the successful case of Porto Alegre. The main goal of this process is to consolidate and strengthen the importance of citizen participation in the public agenda. The government of the city has implemented the method for three consecutive years. The first one in 2009 was completed; the one for 2010 is now in the stage of implementing the public works that resulted from the participation process; and the third project is in process (SGP, Municipalidad de Rafaela, 2011).[7]
Climate
Rafaela has a humid subtropical climate typical of the region—with precipitation typically at its most frequent in summer, and least in winter, with warm to hot summers and mild winters with occasional cold nights.
Climate data for Rafaela (1961–1990, extremes 1970–present)
Rafaela is notable for its metalworking and dairy industries. It is located in the heart of the dairy basin, the largest in South America, making it the principal dairy capital of the region.
Additionally, other significant activities include agriculture and livestock farming. Rafaela has an active industrial park, which has recently expanded with the creation of the Parque de Actividades Económicas de Rafaela (PAER),[12] where the Instituto Tecnológico Rafaela (ITEC) is located.
Education
Educational Institutions
Primary Schools
School No. 21 Libertador General San Martín (adult education)
School No. 475 Bernardino Rivadavia
School No. 476 Juan Bautista Alberdi
School No. 477 Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
School No. 478 Villa Rosas
School No. 479 Cristóbal Colón
School No. 480 Mariano Moreno
School No. 481 Bartolomé Mitre
School No. 482 Manuel Belgrano
School No. 652 Villa Podio
School No. 851 Ángela de la Casa
School No. 886 Brigadier General Estanislao López
School No. 1136 Paul Harris
School No. 1186 Dr. Lisandro de la Torre
School No. 1247 Centenario de Rafaela
School No. 1287 Juan Domingo Perón
School No. 1316 Don Tomás
School No. 1343 Amancay
School No. 1351 Madre Teresa de Calcuta
School No. 1359 Juan Bautista Languier
School No. 1361 Ángela Peralta Pino
School No. 1393 Barrio 2 de Abril
School No. 6393 Pablo Pizzurno
School No. 6405 Gabriela Mistral
Private School No. 1025 Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia
Private School No. 1075 25 de Mayo
Private School No. 1108 San José
Escuela No. 1331 De la Plaza
Secondary Schools
Secondary School No. 204 Domingo de Oro
Secondary School No. 376 Joaquín Dopazo
Secondary School No. 428 Luisa Raimondi de Barreiro
Secondary School No. 429 Mario Vecchioli
Secondary School No. 505 Mahatma Gandhi
Secondary School No. 613 Alicia Cattáneo
Secondary School No. 615 Luis Alberto Spinetta
Secondary School for Adults No. 1007 Libertad
Technical Secondary School No. 460 Guillermo Lehmann
Technical Secondary School No. 495 Malvinas Argentinas
Technical Secondary School No. 654 Dr. Nicolás Avellaneda
Private Secondary School No. 3091 De la Plaza
Private Secondary School No. 3128 25 de Mayo
Private Secondary School No. 8022 Nuestra Señora de la Misericordia
Private Secondary School No. 8140 San José
Special Education Schools and Centers
Special School No. 2079 for the Hearing Impaired
Special School No. 1260 A.P.A.D.I.R.
Special School No. 2027 Melvin Jones
Special School No. 2107 for the Visually Impaired Prof. Susana Crespo
Fundación Espacios de Aprendizaje y Capacitación
Fundación para el Aprendizaje y Trabajo del Discapacitado (FAD) / Camino de Luz Protected Workshop
Centro Especial La Huella
Special School No. 2082 for Vocational Training
Special School No. 2129 for the Mentally Disabled
Instituto No. 2 de Rafaela
Tertiary Institutions
Instituto Superior del Profesorado No. 2 Joaquín V. González (ISP2)
Similar to other cities, Rafaela has its own football league, the Liga Rafaelina de Fútbol, which includes clubs from Rafaela and Sunchales as well as teams from nearby towns. The league is divided into three categories: Primera A, Primera B (split into North and South zones), and Primera C.
The track is popularly known as "the temple of speed" due to its characteristic oval shape, where the Argentine speed record was set. Gabriel Ponce de León, driving a Honda Civic (STC2000 category), reached 306.38 km/h in 2012.
Rugby and Hockey
The city also has a rugby team called Círculo Rafaelino de Rugby (CRAR). Additionally, within the same institution, the various categories of the hockey team, both female and male, and the women's rugby team are notable. It has produced three Pumas players: Hugo Berra, Mayco Vivas, and Pedro Rubiolo.
Cycling
Rafaela has a velodrome called "Héctor Cassina" at the Club Ciclista de Rafaela, inaugurated in 1991. The city already had a rich history in road cycling, and since then, it has also fostered track cycling, achieving many national and international successes.
In cycling, Luis Vegetti was chosen as the Sportsman of the Year 2010 at the 14th Sports Festival organized by the Municipality of Rafaela. The event, which had a strong turnout, took place in front of the municipal building. Vegetti, a 44-year-old cyclist from Rafaela, had an outstanding year. He won first places in the 750 meters and Olympic Speed events, and a second place in Individual Speed at the Argentine Championship held in Reconquista. He earned gold medals in the 750 meters and the Olympic Speed team event at the Pan-American Championship in Cuba. At the Masters World Cycling Championship in Portugal, he finished fourth in the 750 meters and eighth in the Olympic Speed event. These achievements undoubtedly led to Vegetti being named the city's top athlete of the year.
Culture
Cinemas and Theaters
Cine Teatro Municipal Manuel Belgrano
Rafaela boasts modern cinemas featuring the latest releases. The city's theater offers a continuous variety of theatrical and musical performances recognized locally, provincially, nationally, and internationally.[13]
Anfiteatro Alfredo Williner
Teatro Juan Lasserre
Cine Teatro Municipal Manuel Belgrano
Cine Las Tipas
Centro Cultural La Máscara
Centro Cultural Municipal - Sociedad Italiana Víctor Manuel II
Museums
The city has 11 museums showcasing various cultural and historical aspects.
Museo Municipal de Arte Dr. Urbano Poggi: Founded in 1969, it is an exponent of Rafaela's art and also hosts exhibitions that usually tour the country.
Museo Municipal Usina del Pueblo
Museo de la Fotografía: Founded in 1987, it is one of the first photography museums in the country with proper facilities, including a specialized library, laboratory, temporary exhibition hall, and archive.
Museo Ferroviario de Rafaela: Created by the Association of Ferromodelists and Friends of the Railway.
Museo de la Música y el Sonido: Located at Hipólito Yrigoyen 1653, created and directed by musician Sergio Grazioli.
Libraries
Biblioteca Municipal "Lermo Rafael Balbi"
Biblioteca Popular "Arco iris"
Biblioteca Popular "Domingo Faustino Sarmiento"
Biblioteca Popular "Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez"
Biblioteca Popular "José Manuel Estrada"
Biblioteca Popular "Monseñor Antonio Brasca"
Notable people
Notable Personalities
Rafaela has been the birthplace of numerous notable individuals across various fields:
Hermes Binner †: Twice mayor of Rosario and former governor of Santa Fe province.
Rosario is the largest city in the central Argentine province of Santa Fe. The city, located 300 km (186 mi) northwest of Buenos Aires on the west bank of the Paraná River, is the third-most populous city in the country, and is also the most populous city in Argentina that is not a capital. With a growing and important metropolitan area, Greater Rosario has an estimated population of 1,750,000 as of 2020. One of its main attractions includes the neoclassical, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco architecture that has been preserved in hundreds of residences, houses and public buildings. This city is worldwide famous for the birthplace of the Argentine footballer Lionel Messi.
Villa Constitución is a city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, and the head town of the Constitución Department. It is located on the south-western banks of the Paraná River between the courses of the Arroyo Pavón and the Arroyo del Medio, about 214 km south from the provincial capital, the city of Santa Fe, and 50 km from Rosario. It has a population of more than 47,374 inhabitants as per the 2010 census [INDEC].
Rosario is the largest city of the province of Santa Fe, Argentina, and the third most populous in the country, after Córdoba and Buenos Aires. It is located about 300 km (190 mi) north of Buenos Aires, on the Western shore of the Paraná River, and it has about 910,000 inhabitants. It is surrounded by smaller cities and towns that form a metropolitan area with a population of about 1.2 million according to the 2001 census [INDEC].
Villa Hortensia is a mansion in the city of Rosario, province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located on 1917 Warnes St. in Barrio Alberdi, in the north-eastern part of Rosario. It was built in 1890 by architect Boyd Walker for José Nicolás Puccio, founder of Alberdi. It was then sold to Ciro Echesortu, and then in turn to Alfredo Rouillon, married to María Hortensia Echesortu. The wealthy Rouillon family employed Villa Hortensia as a summer residence, taking advantage of its proximity to the Paraná River and its large, tree-shadowed gardens.
Nuevo Central Argentino S. A. is an Argentine company that utilises the operation and infrastructure of the national railway system of the former Mitre Railway division of Ferrocarriles Argentinos, by a concession granted on 23 December 1992 as part of railway privatisation carried out during the presidency of Carlos Menem.
The following is an alphabetical list of topics related to the Argentina.
Asociación Mutual Social y Deportiva Atlético de Rafaela, known simply as Atlético de Rafaela, is an Argentine sports club based in the city of Rafaela, in Santa Fe Province. The club is mostly known for its professional football team, that competes in Primera Nacional, the second division of Argentine football league system. It is popularly known in Argentina and other South American countries for its nickname "La Crema".
Munro is a city of the Vicente López Partido in northern Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina, best known for its jeans and apparel stores and outlets. It is located some 20 km from the downtown of the city.
Florida is a neighborhood in Vicente López Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The community is a suburb in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area. In 2020 the population was estimated at 48,158, making it the second most populated neighborhood in Vicente López. It is located 15 kilometers north of downtown Buenos Aires.
The General Bartolomé Mitre Railway (FCGBM), named after the former Argentine president Bartolomé Mitre, is one of the six state-owned Argentine railway lines formed after President Juan Perón's nationalisation of the railway network in 1948 and one of the largest of Argentina. The six divisions, managed by Ferrocarriles Argentinos were later broken up during the process of railway privatisation beginning in 1991 during Carlos Menem's presidency.
The General Manuel Belgrano Railway (FCGMB), named after the Argentine politician and military leader Manuel Belgrano, is a 1,000 mmmetre gauge railway and the longest of the Argentine system. It was one of the six State-owned Argentine railway companies formed after President Juan Perón's nationalisation of the railway network in 1948.
The Buenos Aires and Rosario Railway (BA&R) was a British-owned railway company that built and operated a 5 ft 6 in broad gauge railway network in Argentina, where it was known as the "Ferrocarril Buenos Aires y Rosario". Originally thought as a line from Buenos Aires to Campana, it then extended to the provinces of Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, and Tucumán.
There are a number of major football rivalries in Argentina.
Province of Santa Fe Railway was a French-owned company that purchased a 1,000 mmmetre gauge railway network built by the provincial government of Santa Fe in Argentina on 10 April 1900 and later extended it in the provinces of Chaco and Córdoba. After nationalisation in 1948 it became part of the state-owned company Belgrano Railway
The 1991–92 Argentine Primera B Nacional was the sixth season of second division professional of football in Argentina. A total of 22 teams competed; the champion and runner-up were promoted to Argentine Primera División.
The 2019–20 season is Unión Santa Fe's 6th consecutive season in the top division of Argentine football. In addition to the Primera División, the club are competing in the Copa Argentina, Copa de la Superliga and Copa Sudamericana.
The 2019–20 Copa Argentina was the eleventh edition of the Copa Argentina, and the ninth since the relaunch of the tournament in 2011. The competition began on 15 January 2020 and ended on 8 December 2021. On 17 March 2020, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced the suspension of the tournament to prevent the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. After several months the tournament resumed on 23 December 2020.
Alberto Nicasio was an Argentine artist (xylographer) and educator. He was a member of the Argentinian National Academy of Arts. A street in the city of Córdoba and a primary school in the province are named after him.
↑ SGP - Secretaría de Gestión y Participación, Municipalidad de Rafaela (2011) “Presupuesto Ciudadano de Gestión Participativa. Oportunidad para los vecinos, desafío para la gestión municipal y crecimiento equitativo de la ciudad”. Prepared by Municipalidad de Rafaela, Argentina.
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