Salta

Salta is the capital and largest city in the Argentine province of Salta. It is the 7th most-populous city in Argentina, with a population of 627,704 as of the 2022 census. The city is an important cultural and economic center for the Valle de Lerma Metropolitan Area, which includes several nearby municipalities such as La Caldera, Campo Quijano, Rosario de Lerma, Cerrillos, La Merced, and San Lorenzo. As the seat of the Capital Department, Salta plays a key role in the province's governance and daily life.

History

In 1536, a large group led by Diego de Almagro traveled through the area west of where Salta is today on their way to Chile. They sometimes had small fights with local people.

Salta was founded on April 16, 1582, by Hernando de Lerma, a Spanish explorer. He wanted it to be a place between Lima in Peru and Buenos Aires. The name "Salta" has several possible explanations.

During the war for independence, Salta was an important place for trade and military plans between Peru and Argentine cities. From 1816 to 1821, General Martín Miguel de Güemes helped protect the city from Spanish forces.

After the war, Salta faced hard times but began to grow again in the late 1800s and early 1900s. New people from Italy, Spain, Britain, and parts of Arabia, especially Syria and Lebanon, arrived and helped bring new life to the area.

Geography

Climate

Salta has a pleasant climate with four distinct seasons. Summers are warm with thunderstorms, while winters are dry and cool. The city gets plenty of sunshine throughout the year. Rain mostly falls during the summer months, making the surrounding hills green and beautiful. Salta's temperatures can vary, but the weather is generally comfortable.

The highest temperature ever recorded was 39.9 °C, and the coldest was −9.4 °C.

Attractions

In the center of Salta, you'll find many old buildings from the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s. Around the Ninth of July Square are important places like the Cathedral Shrine, a museum that looks like French buildings, the Cabildo (an old town hall that is now a museum), and the Museum of High Altitude Archaeology with special items from ancient Inca people, including the mummies of three Inca children. The square is almost entirely circled by a walking area.

Close to the July 9th Square are Saint Francis Church and three streets where people like to walk: Alberdi, Florida, and "Caseros". Near the train station on Balcarce street, you’ll find lots of places to eat, drink, and enjoy music every night.

East of the city is San Bernardo Hill. From the top, you can see all of Salta and the valley below. You can reach the summit by car, cable car, or stairs.

Culture and arts

Salta is often called the most Spanish-looking city in Argentina. Visitors from Spain might think it looks like cities in Andalucia. The city's culture mixes Spanish traditions with the heritage of gaucho people, making it unique compared to big cities further south.

Salta has many places to explore, including three theatres and several museums. One museum shows very old Inca artifacts found in the Andes. Every April, the city holds a big Culture Festival with many shows, craft displays, and live music for the whole month.

Sports

People in Salta love playing and watching football, just like most Argentinians. The main local teams are Juventud Antoniana, Gimnasia y Tiro de Salta, and Central Norte, and they all play in the third national division.

Besides football, other popular sports in Salta include baseball, basketball, volleyball, rugby, and mountaineering. The biggest stadium in Salta is the Padre Ernesto Martearena Stadium, while the Ciudad de Salta Stadium is the largest indoor venue, mostly used for basketball, volleyball, and boxing.

Salta has hosted many important international sports events over the past forty years, such as the 1990 Basketball World Cup, the 2002 Volleyball World Cup, and the 2009 Hockey Champions Challenge. The Argentina national rugby union team, known as the "Pumas", has played matches in Salta against teams from Italy, England, South Africa, and Scotland. Famous football clubs like Boca Juniors and River Plate have also held friendly games in Salta during the summer.

Politics of Salta

Salta is run by a city council with 21 members. After elections in November 2013, the Workers' Party had 9 seats, the Justicialist Party had 6 seats, and 6 seats were held by other groups.

Trivia

Some famous movies were filmed near Salta. The film Taras Bulba, starring Yul Brynner and Tony Curtis, was mostly made in the hills west of the city, close to San Lorenzo. Another actor, John Schneider, who was in The Dukes of Hazzard and Smallville, was also in a movie called Cocaine Wars that was filmed in Salta.

Two well-known actors married people from Salta. Matt Damon married Luciana Bozán Barroso, and Robert Duvall married Luciana Pedraza.

Transportation

Salta’s air travel needs are met by Aeropuerto Internacional Martín Miguel de Güemes. This airport has flights with three domestic airlines, including Aerolíneas Argentinas, Argentina’s biggest airline, and the low-cost airline Flybondi.

Notable people

Salta has been home to many interesting people from different fields. Some are known for their work in music, like folk singer César Isella and folk music bands Los Chalchaleros and Los Nocheros. Others have made their mark in sports, such as footballers Christian Rodrigo Zurita, Emmanuel Cáceres, José Valdiviezo, Luciano Leccese, Luís Sillero, Renato Riggio, Walter Busse, and rugby player Juan Figallo. There are also notable figures in literature and writing, including poet Juana Dib and feminist writer Juana Manuela Gorriti.

The city has produced leaders and activists too, like former economy minister José Alfredo Martínez de Hoz, president of Argentina José Evaristo Uriburu, and human rights activist Nadia Echazú. Other important individuals include explorer and soldier Francisco Gabino Arias, film director Lucrecia Martel, and architect Noemí Goytia.