Córdoba: Argentina's Jesuit Capital
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Córdoba: Argentina's Jesuit Capital

Córdoba — Argentina's second largest city, founded in 1573 — is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Manzana Jesuítica and the oldest university in Argentina; the city's colonial heritage, its student culture, and its position as Argentina's educational capital make it uniquely compelling

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    Manzana Jesuítica UNESCO

    Manzana Jesuítica (Jesuit Block) – a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 – is the best-preserved Jesuit urban complex in Argentina; the neighborhood contains the Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús (1645), the Colegio Nacional de Monserrat and the nucleus of the National University of Córdoba (Argentina's oldest, founded in 1613)

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    Iglesia de la Compañía

    The Jesuit Church of Córdoba – with its distinctive elliptical baroque vault (the only one of its kind in South America, designed by the Flemish Jesuit friar Philippe Lemer) – is the finest colonial church in Argentina; the unusual structural solution of the church and the quality of its carved stone and gilded wood are exceptional

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    Argentina's oldest university

    The Universidad Nacional de Córdoba – founded in 1613 by the Jesuits, making it the oldest university in Argentina – played a central role in the 1918 university reform movement; The reform (which spread across Latin America) established the principles of university autonomy, free education and student participation in governance

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    The 1918 university reform

    The 1918 Reforma Universitaria—launched in Córdoba by student movements protesting the university's conservative, clerical governance—became the most influential student political movement in Latin American history; The reform's demands (autonomy, free education, democratic governance) became the template for university reforms across the continent

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    Sierras Chicas View

    Córdoba is located at the foot of the Sierras Chicas - the eastern part of the central Argentine Andes; the view from the colonial quarters on a hill towards the green mountains behind the city is one of the most attractive settings of any Argentine city; the mountain range starts almost at the city limits and offers outdoor activities all year round

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    Alta Córdoba and Nueva Córdoba

    Córdoba's university districts – especially Nueva Córdoba and Güemes – are the city's most energetic; the concentration of universities, bars, restaurants and cultural spaces gives these neighborhoods a vitality comparable to Buenos Aires Palermo but with a distinct Cordoban character

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