HISTORY

Founded in 1561 by Pedro del Castillo, the city of Mendoza takes it´s name from the then governor of Chile; Don García Hurtado de Mendoza.

In 1788 work began on the first irrigation sistema which was to improve those already established by the INKAS and Indians but which were somewhat primative for the ever-growing City.

The improvements in the irrigation systems made way for a new industrial activity – agricultural. Wines, brandy, dry fruit, flour and oil soon took over cattle-raising and by the 18th Century Mendoza´s was becoming an important Nacional player.

In January 1817 Mendoza was liberated from the Spanish as the result of an epic liberation march by General José de San Martín who led his Liberation Army from Mendoza over the Andes Mountains into Chile.

Mendoza has been re-built twice as the result of two earthquakes.   The first by on March 20 in 1861, following it being re-built Mendoza became the regional metropolis of Cuyo, with an important commercial, industrial, financial and cultural development.   More recently the earthquake of 26th January 1985 the one that is most present in the memories of the “Mendocinos”, where six people died, 238 people were injured and more than 12 thousand homes were destroyed.

Today Mendoza city has replaced it´s adobe houses for “anit-sismic” buildings and has grown into a green oasis of calm amidst a hot and sweltering desert.   Mendoza is a striving cosmoplotan capital - a garden city of tree-lined streets and sculpted parks. Every leafy town in the province is surrounded by hundreds of vineyards and farms producing everything from olives to peaches.