History

“A very gallant coast”, were the words that Juan de Garay used to describe Mar del Plata´s littoral when he met it, in 1581. He also praised the quality of its lands and the presence of huge numbers of “lobos marinos” (“sea wolves”, kind of seals of a big size) in the coasts.

The first European inhabitants of the region were the Jesuits, led by priests Falkner, Catriel and Strobel. Beside to what today we call “Laguna de los Padres” (Priests´ Lagoon) they settled the “Reducción de Nuestra Señora del Pilar” (“Our Lady of Pilar Reduction”, place where non believers in God, were converted) to evangelize 1200 aboriginals. The missionaries left the place on September, 1^st, 1751 due to problems with the aboriginals.

In 1856 José Coelho de Meyrelles, a trade man from Portugal, arrived to the area and founded a salting-place in the mouth of small river San Ignacio, that would be called “Las Chacras”( The Farms) later on, and that today crosses the city´s centre inside of pipes. The place that surrounded the salting-place started being called “Puerto de la Laguna de los Padres” (Priests´ Lagoon Port).

Financial and health problems pushed Meyrelles away from his activities, who ended selling all his properties to Patricio Peralta Ramos in 1860. The acquired lands had an extension of 32 “leguas” and integrated the Laguna de los Padres, San Julián de Vivoratá and La Armonía de Cobo (Cobo´s Harmony) estancias (big farms). The new owner had a great vision of the area: he formed a society to exploit the salting-place, set everything to create a new pier, ordered the construction of barracks, provided a mill to produce flour, stimulated the opening of shops and decided to build up the Capilla Santa Cecilia (Santa Cecilia´s Chapel), name he used to pay homage to his wife: Cecilia Robles.

It was him that started the steps towards the recognition of the existence of a town located in part of his fields inside Balcarce District to obtain governor Mariano Moreno´s approval. He called it “Mar del Plata”, name that was finally accepted by decree on February, 10^th , 1874. In 1877 Pedro Luro and his children, promoters of progress in the area, arrived to the city. The old man was in charge of the salting-place, installed a mill and constructed a new pier that gave a decisive impulse to agriculture; the Bristol Hotel inauguration took place thanks to José Luro. Pedro Olegario Luro gave an impulse in the construction of the port; María Luro de Chevalier propitiated the edification of “la Iglesia de San Pedro”(Saint Peter´s Church), presently called “Catedral de los Santos Pedro y Cecilia” (Saint Peter´s and Saint Cecilia´s Cathedral).

On October, 15^th , 1879, the provincial legislation created General Pueyrredón District, product of the division of General Balcarce District.

Thanks to governor Dardo Rocha´s demand the railway arrived to the city on September, 6^th, 1886. With the incorporation of this mean of transport the town started becoming a modern urban centre, initiating as well Summer activities and the arrival of immigrants specially of Italian and Spanish origin.

On July, 19^th , 1907, Mar del Plata was recognized as a “city” by the provincial legislature. The “sociedad porteña” (Buenos Aires society) in its most splendorous period, used to visit Europe and being acquainted with the French beaches, found in this place an Argentine equivalent. The beach resort became fashionable and huge properties started being built. In 1888 the Bristol Hotel was inaugurated. Many of the high class families of the National capital and even some of the presidents chose this hotel to stay for a visit. In 1910 the luxurious Mar del Plata Club was created and the primitive path along the coast made in wood (ramblas) was replaced by the “Rambla Francesa” demolished in 1939. In 1920 decade, period of time in which the affluence of Summer tourists was growing, some of the elite members started moving towards the South area of the city. They got settled in “Playa Chica” (Small Beach) and “Playa Grande” (Huge Beach), that is, in the coast further away from Corrrientes Cape till the Golf Club.

In 1923 took place the inauguration of the port and in 1938 of Ruta Nacional N° 2 (National Route 2). These two facts encouraged the city integration to the national economy and the development of the industry of Tourism.

Between 1945 and 1955 the social and economic policy imposed by president Juan Domingo Perón disposed the expropriation of the lands in Mar del Plata. In this way “el Paseo de la Laguna de los Padres” (The Priests´ Lake Walk) and the “Sierra de los Padres” (Priests´Mountains) were created in the place where the old Jesuit reductions of the XVIII century were located. Game and gambling were nationalized and the casino, the Mar del Plata Club and the “Normandie” coffee shop in Playa Grande (which later were turned into the National Institute of Investigation and Fishing Development) were expropriated as well.

The period of social tourism started. The Colony of Chapadmalal was built and houses and hotels of the “paseo Jesús de Galíndez” (Jesus of Galíndez walk) were expropriated. The worker´s unions took hold of the main hotel resorts. On the other hand, the “ley de propiedad horizontal” (horizontal property law) allowed to buy cheap apartments of one or two rooms that transformed the central panorama. Lots of old big houses were demolished in the name of progress.

From those days tourism has reached numbers that have exceeded all expectations. The antique Atlantic Pearl can offer multiple choices in terms of Tourism.

Some of the mile-stones to keep in mind from the history of Mar del Plata

1519: First contact with the coasts of Mar del Plata. Fernando de Magallanes baptized with the name of “Punta de Arena Gordas” (Fat Sand Point) to the nowadays called Punta Mogotes.

1581: Juan de Garay makes the first expedition inland.

1747: A Jesuit mission with 1200 indigenous settles down in Las Cabrillas (small goats) Lake (nowadays Laguna de los Padres/The Priests´Lagoon).

1857: A Brazilian-Portuguese partnership represented by Coelho de Meyrelles acquires lands and sets a salting-place.

1873: Patricio Peralta Ramos makes the first steps to recognize the existence of a town called “Puerto de la Laguna de los Padres” (Priests´ Lake Port).

1874: Buenos Aires province governor Mariano Acosta expedites the decree that recognizes that this new town is inside Balcarce district. This town is called “Mar del Plata” as an answer to the demand of its founder.

1879: The provincial government authorizes the creation of General Pueyrredón District.

1881: Mar del Plata suffers a serious Typhoid fever epidemic disease. A building is fit out to lodge the affected ones. “La Casa de Socorros” (The Aids House) in streets 25 de Mayo (May, 25^th) and La Rioja is the first city´s public hospital.

1886: The railway arrives. The first fishermen arrive from La Boca and Tigre.

1889: The first telephone net starts operating.

1899: Creation of the Public Reading Centre, first antecedent of a library.

1905: Foundation of “La Capital” newspaper.

1907: Mar del Plata is declared to be a “city”.

1909: People start attending cinemas. “El Sol” (The Sun) is the first one.

1911: Creation of the “Sociedad Instructiva y Recreativa Juventud Moderna” (Instructive and Recreational Society Modern Young People) by initiative of waiters and cooks, coach drivers, carpenters and builders Unions. Later on this place will be known as the Popular Library Modern Young People (Biblioteca Popular Juventud Moderna).

1938: Inauguration of National Route 2 (Ruta Nacional N° 2). Foundation of “El Atlántico” newspaper. Poetess Alfonsina Storni commits suicide walking into the sea.

1942: After a strike the “Sindicato de Obreros de la Industria del Pescado” – SOIP - ( Fish Industry Workmen Union) is created.

1945: Prestigious architect Amancio Williams builds for his father a piece of work that will be considered a symbol of modern architecture: la “Casa del Puente” (the Bridge´s House).

1946: A violent storm provokes the major maritime tragedy ever remembered. Ten fishing motor-boats are lost.

The bakeries´ strike ends with a general strike. Creation of the local “Central General de Trabajadores” – CGT - (Workmen General Centre).

1952: Construction of San Martín Stadium, centre where most of the important sportive events of the city take place.

1954: Inauguration of the First International Movie Festival in Mar del Plata (Primer Festival Internacional de Cine en Mar del Plata).

1957: Pope Pío XII creates Mar del Plata Diocese and designs Monseñor Enrique Rau as the first bishop. The San Pedro´s Basilica (Basílica de San Pedro) starts being called Saint Peter´s and Saint Cecilia´s Cathedral (Catedral de los Santos Pedro y Cecilia).

1958: The bishop creates the University´s Free Institute (Instituto Universitario Libre), what will later be called the Catholic University, first house of studies.

1958: T.V. Channel number 8 starts emitting its programming.

1961: Creation of the Provincial University of Mar del Plata (Universidad Provincial de Mar del Plata).

Inauguration of Hospital Interzonal de Agudos.

1965: T.V. Channel number 10 of Mar del Plata starts emitting its programming.

1968: Creation of Batán City Hall Delegation (Delegación Municipal Batán).

1969: Inauguration of Enterprisse, the nightclub that will represent a generation and will be an icon of the Mar del Plata´s night life.

1972: Monseñor Eduardo Pironio is designed as a bishop. Later he will be named cardinal and in 1978 he will be one of the candidates to become pope.

1974: Inauguration of the Parque Industrial General Savio (Industrial Park General Savio).

1975: Creation of the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (National University of Mar del Plata) that will absorb to the Catholic and the Provincial ones.

1978: The city is one of the bases of the Football Worldcup Competition. Inauguration of “Ciudad de Mar del Plata Stadium” with a capacity for 18.845 spectators sitting down.

1979: San Martín street turns into a pedestrian street and becomes a classical walk and a commercial centre of the city.

1980: Inauguration of Punta Mogotes resort for Tourism with 24 bathing beaches along 1,2424 miles/

2 km of coast.

1981: The City Hall acquires “Villa Victoria” (Victoria Ville). The house was donated by the writer Victoria Ocampo to the UNESCO (Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación y la Ciencia/United Nations Educational and Scientific Oraganization) in 1973.

1982: Inauguration of a modern building where the Biblioteca Pública Municipal (City Hall Public Library) is placed.

1985: Construction of Torre Manantiales (Springs Tower), the tallest of the city where 700 people can be lodged.

1994: The local team “Peñarol” wins the championship of the Basketball National League.

1995: Mar del Plata is the base of the XII Sportive Games of “Panamérica” with the participation of 5144 athletes of 42 different countries. This event provokes the remodelling and the construction of new installations in the “Parque Municipal de los Deportes “(City Hall Sportive Park): the skating circuit, the athletic field, swimming installations, the stadium for sports in general, the velodrome and the hockey grass field.

Construction of the Costa Galana Hotel, the first one with a five star class level.

1996: After 16 years of interruption, the International Movie Festival of Mar del Plata (Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar del Plata) is organized again.

Inauguration of the Sheraton Hotel.

The first Mar del Plata´s popular consultation is organized with a proposal of 25 different buildings and ways of maintaining the city.

2004: Presentation of the First Independent Movie Festival of Mar del Plata (Primer Festival de Cine Independiente , MARFICI).

2005: On November, 4^th and 5^th , the IV American Top Meeting (IV Cumbre de las Américas) with the presence of all the continent countries´ presidents.