Villaguay

The city is the capital Villaguay and the administrative center of the homonymous department Villaguay in the province of Entre Ríos in northern Argentina. Located on the Rio Gualeguay, close to the RN 18 from Paraná to Concordia city has about 32 027 inhabitants ( 2001 census ).

The settlement was established around 1790 by the Spaniards, 1835, the chapel of Santa Rosa de Villaguay was inaugurated. Nevertheless Villaguay remained until 1873 garrison before it became a town.

Colonia Belgia

From 1856 founded European immigrants - in addition to Spaniards, Italians and French and also German from 1857 also Flemish and Jews from Belgium - numerous colonies of settlement in Argentina.

In 1882 Belgians were among Eugeen Schepens also reflected in Villaguay. The Belgian farmers 32 acres of land were promised per couple and cheap loans. The first 50 families came from Antwerp and Oudenaarde and founded the Colonia Belgia; to 1939 were 25,000 Belgians to Argentina. In today's Villaguay half the population is said to have Belgian ancestry.

Colonia Alemania

Around 1893 it should have already given 111 European colonies in the province of Entre Rios - of which in Villaguay five with Jewish immigrants ( including Villa Clara - the largest colony in the village - and Villaguay, Carmel, Villa Domínguez and San Gregorio ), one with Volga Germans ( Colonia Alemania ) and six others with Spanish, French, Swiss ( Colonia San Jose), Italians ( Colonia Santa Juana ), German ( Colonia Nueva Alemania ) and Belgians. Villaguay then had 2,245 inhabitants.

Despite the striking political instability especially the immigrant social unrest, the Belgian and German colonies existed until 1940, when Villaguay was converted back to an Argentine garrison. The colonists were resettled.