An introduction to La Boca

The barrio of La Boca is so named because it is situated at the mouth of the river that runs
along the capital federal’s southern border: the Riachuelo. This proximity to the river is in fact
the reason for La Boca’s existence: the barrio used to consist solely of shipyards and of the
houses of people who worked in them. The houses were built with cast-off ship building
materials, meaning that they were largely constructed of materials such as planks, sheet metal
and corrugated iron.

Caminito is the work of the local La Boca artist Benito Quinquela Martín. In 1960 he painted
the walls of what was then an abandoned street and erected a makeshift stage for
performances, and it quickly became a haven for artists. With its cobblestones, colorful
corrugated-iron houses and artists’ studios, Caminito sure sounds great on paper.
Unfortunately, these days it’s an absolutely rampant tourist trap, full of touts, hawkers,
hustlers, overpriced knick-knacks and bland food. Fair play to the good burghers of Caminito –
they’re just trying to make a living – but this is the sort of place many people avoid like the
plague. There’s lots of open-air tango on display to entertain the patrons at the outdoor cafes,
which is fun if you haven’t seen it before.

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 A brief history of Buenos Aires

The city of Buenos Aires was founded twice. The first foundation was made by the Spanish
Pedro de Mendoza in 1536, who called it Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa
María del Buen Ayre (City of the Holy Trinity and Port of Santa María del Buen Ayre). The first
settlement was established there, but according to the accounts of a crew member, it did not
prosper due to the difficult living conditions that prevailed and the resistance of the native
Querandíes.

The second foundation took place in 1580. This time it was Juan de Garay who, on behalf of
the Spanish Crown, baptised it as the City of Trinidad, where it began to develop, socially and
politically, on the current grounds of the Plaza de Mayo. In 1776 it was designated as the
capital of the new Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, allowing it to position itself in the
commercial market: its port and its connections with the cities of the interior then became its
greatest strength.

Then came the times of revolutions in search of independence and Buenos Aires was a
necessary participant in the longed-for Argentinean Independence. On May 25, 1810, the
Creoles sought to put an end to the Spanish viceregal government and form the First Patriotic
Government, so that later, on July 9, 1816, the fundamental step towards the definitive
Independence could be taken in Tucumán.

With the emergence of industry and railways during the second half of the 19th century, the
port of Buenos Aires became the strategic point of economic activity in a country that was
known as "the granary of the world". It was also the gateway for the arrival of the first great
migratory flow to populate the nation that promoted the Argentine State, giving rise to an
eclectic culture. It was nurtured by Spaniards, Italians, Syrians, Lebanese, Poles and Russians.
The tango -nowadays recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity- was born, while
the "conventillos" and the immigrant hotels were the ideal scenario for the birth of something
as special and characteristic of Buenos Aires as "lunfardo".

Later on, during the 20th century, there was a continuous wave of immigration from the
interior of the country, from Latin American countries and even from Asia. Thus, this city,
where people from different cultures and religions live together, was born.

The city suffered numerous epidemics due to poverty, lack of hygiene and overcrowding. In the
years that history tells us, the worst was the yellow fever that struck Buenos Aires in 1871, but
the city always managed to recover.

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In 1880 it became the Federal Capital of the Argentine Republic and, entering the 20th century
with progress, it was recognised as one of the great metropolises of the world: since then it has
been called "the Paris of South America", thanks to its architecture, parks and boulevards
designed by the Buenos Aires elites with a strong French imprint.

Before the celebration of the Centenary of the May Revolution in 1910, the Avenida de Mayo,
the Bosques de Palermo and the Teatro Colón stood out in the celebrations. Being faithful to
the avant-garde that characterizes it, years later Buenos Aires inaugurated the first
underground line in Latin America and the eleventh in the world.

In the 1930s, the Obelisk appeared, a Buenos Aires icon par excellence and, some time later,
the Avenida 9 de Julio became the most important artery of the city.

In 1994 Buenos Aires managed to sanction its own constitution and to have an autonomous
government, elected by its citizens, as a result of the Reform of the Argentine Constitution.

This is only part of its more than 400 years of history, in which Buenos Aires became the
cosmopolitan, complex and dynamic city it is today.

Questions

1. How many times was Buenos Aires founded?

2. When did the wave of immigration begin? Describe briefly.

3. Where was the tango born?

4. When did the city of Buenos Aires become the capital of the country?

5. What was the city of Buenos Aires called?