San Rafael, Mendoza
San Rafael is a city in western Argentina. It is located in the central southern part of the province of Mendoza and has 173 571 inhabitants (2001, INDEC ). This makes it the second most important city of the province.
- Here born 5.1
Location
The city is located north of the Río Diamante, which forms at this point an island that is the park of the city today. An artificial irrigation system has been created through channels so that in the vicinity of the city, agriculture can be operated and the city was embellished with leafy streets themselves. San Rafael is located at the foot of the Andes and offers, as Mendoza in general, a very impressive landscape.
History
San Rafael was founded in 1805 as a fortress against the Indians by the viceroy Rafael de Sobremonte, wore the name of the place from there. From 1860, the settlement was consolidated final, as here colonists from Italy and France settled that operated in the vicinity of Agriculture. During the so-called desert campaign, the campaign of destruction of General Julio Argentino Roca against the Indians end of the 1870s was San Rafael one of the main military bases against the Mapuches. 1903, the city was connected to the railway network, which greatly boosted the population growth. 1922 San Rafael received city rights.
Economy
San Rafael is primarily an agro- industrial center, where the products of the oasis region are processed around the city and preserved. In the surrounding area especially wine is grown, but also fruits, tomatoes, onions and garlic. A newly emerging industry is tourism.
Viniculture
The first vines were planted in San Rafael in 1884, which was then decorated winery La Abeja still exists today. Long autumns, with mild temperatures allow a slow and complete ripening of the berries, but involve frequent hailstorms high income risk. Prior to the Argentine economic crisis in the 1980s existed in the region for more than 200 wineries ( bodegas ), in the 1970s they produced more than 70 % of Argentine white wines. Today ( 2012) 88 farm wineries a wine-growing area of 16,000 hectares, approximately 4,000 small businesses manage areas for periods of less than 5 hectares.
- (see also the article viticulture in Argentina)
Tourism
West of the city are several dams on the Rio Diamante, providing on the one hand and energy are used to irrigate the fields, but also a tourist infrastructure have: Galileo Vitale, El Tigre, Los Reyunos and Agua de Toro. South of San Rafael are the major reservoirs of Valle Grande and El Nihuil, also popular destinations. San Rafael is therefore one becoming a tourist tip and is the quieter alternative to the provincial capital. The weather is very pleasant due to the dry air and the 300 days of sunshine a year.
Personalities
Born here
- Jesús Méndez, football player