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HISTORY OF SAN RAFAEL
When the
first Spaniards arrived to what is today Mendoza’s territory they come
upon two indigenous groups: the Huarpes living North of the Diamante
River and partially of the Atuel River and the Puelches Algarroberos or
Puelches de Cuyo living South of these two rivers towards the Neuquén
Province and coming from the Maule Chilean region.
 As
from 1858 they start crossing over the Andes attracted by the abundance
of cattle and horses in the argentine Pampas and the strong pressures
put on them by the warring Spaniards. They thus become nomadic and begin
to mix with the peoples from Mendoza, La Pampa, Buenos Aires and
Patagonia and produce the so-called “Araucanization” phenomenon
(Araucanos being another native people).
These
new generations influenced by Araucanos were fierce warriors who
attacked cultivated areas, cities and villages. The River Plate
Viceroyship adopting defensive policies in order to protect the
populated areas, founded the San Rafael del Diamante Fort by decree of
Viceroy Rafael de Sobremonte on 2nd April 1805 on the shores
of the river.
The
ruins are still there in the present 25 de Mayo district. At the
beginning of the 20th Century two thirds of the fort is
devastated by floods. It was declared Historical National Monument on 10th
December 1942.
Playa de
San Rafael, 12 kilometers from the fort enters the scene in 1860 with
the development of agriculture.
Many
visionary men started arriving soon, planning and building irrigation
canals coming from the Diamante River and, in 1870 with arrival of Julio
Ballofet these systems are ameliorated and the orderly division of land
begins to be implemented.
In 1883,
Rodolfo Iselin, a good pioneer friend of Ballofet designs the plan for
the formation of a French Colony thus attracting new investors for
breeding cattle, and planting fruit trees and vineyards. The railway
arrives to San Rafael in 1903 and greatly strengthens commercial links
with Buenos Aires.
A
Provincial decree from 7 October 1922 declares de Villa de San Rafael a
City. From then onwards San Rafael grows steadily in the agricultural
field, except for some and downs as the one produced in 1932 produced by
the eruption of the Descabezado Volcano which harmed the local economy.
During
the 1980’s, the agricultural sector area suffers deep harm produced by
climatic changes. Adventure tourism begins to appear on the horizon as
an alternative product, exploiting the beauty offered by natural
resources and sceneries present in San Rafael. It has by now become a
par excellence pole of attraction for the Mendoza Province.
San Rafael's
Pioneers >>>
The Arrival Of the Railway >>> |