AS AN ENTRANCE TO THE MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES, THE CITY PROPOSES A LEVEL ITINERARY. ITS STREETS AND SURROUNDINGS WERE THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE JESUIT MISSIONS AND A SHELTER FOR CHE GUEVARA. & NBSP; & NBSP;
SE HE KNOWS IT AS “LA DOCTA” FOR BEING THE CITY WHERE THE FIRST UNIVERSITY IN THE COUNTRY WAS CREATED. FOUNDED IN 1573 AS A SETTLEMENT FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST THE ABORIGINES WITH THE AIM OF BEING ABLE TO TRADE IN THE REGION, CÓRDOBA KNEW HOW TO BE A PLACE FOR THE SALE OF SLAVES, THE CENTER OF DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS ORDERS, THE MAIN STRONGHOLD OF THE COUNTERREVOLUTIONARIES AND A KEY POINT IN CIVIL WARS. ITS PREPONDERANT PLACE IN ARGENTINE HISTORY CONTINUED IN THE 20TH CENTURY, BEING ONE OF THE GREAT INDUSTRIAL AND EDUCATIONAL CENTERS OF THE COUNTRY, BUT IT HAS ALSO GAINED ITS FAME FOR BEING THE CRADLE OF QUARTET MUSIC AND THE CLASSIC (NOW NATIONAL) DRINK, THE FERNET . WITH ITS CHARACTERISTIC TUNE AND HUMOR, THE METROPOLIS ALWAYS KNEW HOW TO STAY YOUNG AND OLD AT THE SAME TIME. & NBSP;
AS A PROVINCIAL CAPITAL, THE CITY HAS ITS FEVERISH AND POPULOUS RHYTHM, ALTHOUGH ITS COLONIAL IDENTITY, MARKED BY THE LEGACY LEFT BY THE JESUITS, REMAINS LIKE IN THE PAST. THE SOCIETY OF JESUS WAS INSTALLED IN THE 16TH CENTURY TO EVANGELIZE THE NATIVE POPULATION, AND ITS MEMBERS, ALONG WITH THE ORIGINAL COMMUNITIES, WERE IN CHARGE OF ERECTING THE MAGNIFICENT BUILDINGS THAT CAN STILL BE VISITED. THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, TEMPLES AND CONVENTS TODAY ARE PART OF THE JESUIT BLOCK, CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY (DECLARED BY UNESCO IN 2000).
WALKING THE STREETS OF THE CENTER BECOMES, THUS, A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME. TO THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE CABILDO AND THE CATHEDRAL, AMONG OTHER NOTABLE BUILDINGS, THE MÁXIMO COLLEGE, THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CONVICTORIO COLEGIO NUESTRA SEÑORA DE MONTSERRAT ARE ADDED. BUT ALSO, WITHIN THE PILGRIMAGE, YOU CAN GET TO KNOW SOME OF THE GREATEST BAROQUE EXPRESSIONS IN LATIN AMERICA BETWEEN THE WALLS OF THE CHURCH OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS AND THE DOMESTIC CHAPEL. IN THIS SENSE, THE ARTISTIC OFFER IS VARIED: BOTH THE TEATRO REAL, THE TEATRO DEL LIBERTADOR, THE PASEO DEL BUEN PASTOR, THE MUSEO EVITA-PALACIO FERREYRA, AND THE MUSEO PALACIO DIONISI, THE MUSEO CARAFFA AND THE CITY OF ARTS, MAKE UP A CIRCUIT WITH AESTHETIC AND ARCHITECTURAL PROPOSALS RANGING FROM CLASSIC TO CONTEMPORARY. & NBSP;
IN TURN, THE "RELIGIOUS CAPITAL" OF THE ARGENTINA HAS ITS REVOLUTIONARY SIDE: NOT ONLY BECAUSE IN 1969 IT WAS THE EPICENTER OF AN IMPORTANT WORKERS AND STUDENT PROTEST MOVEMENT (KNOWN AS THE CORDOBAZO), BUT BECAUSE JUST 36 KM AWAY, IN ALTA GRACIA, IS THE CASA ERNESTO “CHE” GUEVARA MUSEUM . & NBSP;
DUE TO MILD TEMPERATURES AND THE ABSENCE OF HUMIDITY , THE TOWN, LOCATED IN THE HEART OF THE PARAVACHASCA VALLEY, WAS THE RECOMMENDED PLACE FOR RESPIRATORY PATIENTS, SO CHE SPENT MANY YEARS OF HIS CHILDHOOD IN THE MOUNTAINS LOOKING FOR AN IMPROVEMENT FOR HIS PERSISTENT ASTHMA. IN WHAT USED TO BE HIS HOME, SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY DOCUMENTS, FAMILY PHOTOS, FURNITURE AND RELICS THAT BEAR WITNESS TO HIS DAILY LIFE ARE NOW ON DISPLAY BEFORE HE BECAME ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS CHARACTERS IN THE WORLD.
ALTA GRACIA ALSO COMBINES THIS HISTORICAL SITE WITH OTHER CULTURAL AND NATURAL ATTRACTIONS. NESTLED IN AN UNDULATING LANDSCAPE, WITH STREAMS AND AROMAS OF HERBS, THE TOWN (ORIGINALLY LAND OF COMECHINGONES) KEEPS MEMORIES OF THE JESUIT SPLENDOR. AMONG THEM, THE ROOM, THE COLONIAL BAROQUE CHURCH AND THE ARTIFICIAL DAM WITH ITS 80-METER LONG RETAINING WALL, MADE IN 1659 WITH LIME, STONE AND SAND, STAND OUT.
& NBSP; THE STAY IN THE VILLA SERVES TO HAVE A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROJECT OF THE ORDER OF SAINT IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA. HOWEVER, IT ALSO WORKS AS A WINDOW TO ENTER THE MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENT. FROM HERE, YOU CAN ACCESS OTHER TOURIST SPOTS IN LESS THAN TWO HOURS, SUCH AS VILLA CARLOS PAZ, LA CUMBRECITA, COSQUÍN AND VILLA GENERAL BELGRANO.