Almagro (Buenos Aires)

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Location of Almagro in Buenos Aires

Almagro is a district in the geographical center of the Argentine capital Buenos Aires . It is 4.1 km² and has almost 140,000 inhabitants (as of 2001). The population density is over 34,000 inhabitants per km² and is thus well above the Buenos Aires average of 13,531 inhabitants / km².

The district is bordered to the west by the streets La Plata and Río de Janeiro , by the Avenida Independencia in the south, the streets Sánchez de Bustamante , Sánchez de Loria and Gallo in the east and the Avenidas Córdoba and Estado de Israel in the north.

Almagro is characterized by its commercial activities along the Avenidas and its high population density due to the high-rise buildings along the railway line. Overall, it is now a middle class residential area.

history

In the 18th century, the land that today forms the west of Almagro belonged to the Portuguese merchant Carlos de los Santos Valente. The east and north were owned by Juan María de Almagro y de la Torre, a lawyer. His property was confiscated by the then government but returned to him in 1820. Both Santos Valente and Almagro preferred agricultural use and opposed any kind of urban development.

In the 19th century the area was used by dairy farms and brick factories. At that time Almagro and Caballito were between the cities of Buenos Aires and Flores . In 1880 Almagro was incorporated into Buenos Aires. At the same time the population increased. The Church of San Carlos was built in 1878, replaced in 1910 by the Maria-Hilf-Basilika . Almagro was predominantly settled by Basque and Italian immigrants. In order to accommodate the immigrants, the so-called Conventillos (immigrant hotels) were built. The assimilation of the immigrants proceeded rapidly and Almagro was the birthplace of many famous tango pieces . Due to its proximity to the Abasto market, Carlos Gardel was a frequent visitor here and in 1930 also recorded a tango called "Almagro".

In Almagro is the Las Violetas coffee house , which opened in 1884 and was a popular meeting place. Closed in 1998 but reopened in 2001, it retains the splendor of bygone golden times. The boxing club on Calle Castro Barros was the site of many important fights.

To this day, Almagro is one of the city's tango centers. The composer and band leader Osvaldo Pugliese spent the last years of his life here and was involved in the establishment of the Casa del Tango .

Others

There is a lively flower market on Acuña de Figeroa Street. A book flea market is held on Sundays in the nearby Plaza Almagro. In the Parque Centenario you can visit an arts and crafts and antiques market on Sundays, and concerts are occasionally held there. The Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires is also located in the district .

September 28th is "Almagro Day" and is celebrated with celebrations in the district.

Web links

Commons : Almagro, Buenos Aires  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 34 ° 37 ′  S , 58 ° 25 ′  W