Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
early-20th-century buildings overshadowed by ugly apartments - has a comfortable,
lived-in feel, and the down-to-earth
rosarinos
(people from Rosario) are a delight. All
are very proud of Rosario-born-and-bred Lionel Messi, golden boy of world
fútbol
(soc-
cer).
History
Rosario's first European inhabitants settled here informally around 1720. After independ-
ence Rosario quickly superseded Santa Fe as the province's economic powerhouse,
though, to the irritation of
rosarinos
, the provincial capital retained political primacy.
The Central Argentine Land Company, an adjunct of the railroad, was responsible for
bringing in agricultural colonists from Europe, for whom Rosario was a port of entry.
From 1869 to 1914 the city's population grew nearly tenfold, though a decline of eco-
nomic and shipping activity during the 1960s led to a drop in Rosario's population and
power.
Nationalistic Argentines cherish Rosario, home to a monument to the nation's flag, as
Cuna de la Bandera (Cradle of the Flag).
