Villa Lugano | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The GeneralManuel Savio Housing Complex, one of the largest public housing works in Latin America | |
 Location of Villa Lugano within Buenos Aires | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Autonomous City | Buenos Aires |
| Comuna | C8 |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.2 km2 (3.6 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 114,253 |
| • Density | 12,000/km2 (32,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-3 (ART) |
Villa Lugano is abarrio (neighbourhood) inBuenos Aires,Argentina, located in the south of the city. It has a population of approximately 114,000 people. It is delimited by Avenida Eva Perón,Avenida General Paz, Calle José Barros Pazos, Avenida Lisandro de la Torre, Avenida Coronel Roca andAvenida Escalada. To the south-east it limits withLa Matanza Partido.
Generally a working-class neighbourhood, Villa Lugano is characterised by its numerouspublic housing complexes built in the late 20th century, such as Barrio General Manuel Savio (commonly known asLugano 1 y 2), Barrio Cardenal Antonio Samoré, Barrio Cardenal Copello, and Barrio Comandante Luis Piedrabuena.[1]
Villa Lugano was founded in 1908, whenSwiss citizen José Ferdinando Francisco Soldati (founder ofSociedad Comercial del Plata) established a settlement named for his hometown ofLugano. Soldati was born on 30 May 1864 inNeggio,Canton of Ticino,Switzerland, near Lugano. He bought a farm near the current location of Calle Murguiondo and Avenida Riestra. The lots were subdivided and with the sale of the first parcels, Villa Lugano was founded on 18 October 1908.
The Villa Lugano station of the French-ownedFerrocarril Compañía General en la Provincia de Buenos Aires was inaugurated in 1910; about 40 families lived in Villa Lugano by 1912. The low-lying area, known originally as theBañado de Flores ("Flores Wetlands") grew slowly untilflood control works were completed along the Cildañez Stream in the 1960s. It had developed a working class profile by then, and became the site of one of the city's largestvilla miseria slums. Villa Lugano was chosen as the site of the GeneralManuel Savio housing development. Built by the Municipal Housing Commission between 1970 and 1973, the complex was the largest public housing development built in Buenos Aires, including over 12,000 housing units and becoming home to nearly 30,000 people.[2] BorderingVilla Soldati to the east, Villa Lugano was separated from the former by municipal edict in 1972. The district was connected to theBuenos Aires Underground by thePre-Metro, inaugurated in 1987.
The neighbourhood has a number of educational institutions ranging from primary schools to universities and other terciary education institutions. Villa Lugano is home to the main Buenos Aires regional campus of theNational Technological University (UTN), Argentina's leading engineering-oriented university.[3] Villa Lugano is also home to theUniversity of Buenos Aires-affiliated Escuela Técnica, a high school specializing in technical education and one of the university's five secondary education institutions.[4]
Numerous sports institutions have their seat within Villa Lugano's borders, including theClub Social y Deportivo Yupanqui and theClub Atlético Lugano, both of which are known for their men's football teams in thePrimera D Metropolitana and constitute the "Lugano derby", although neither club's stadia are located in the neighbourhood itself.[5][6]
Within theGreater Buenos Aires commuter rail network, Villa Lugano is served by the Lugano station ofBelgrano Sur Line.[7] In addition, most of thePremetro line of theBuenos Aires Underground runs through Villa Lugano, connecting the neighbourhood to the Underground network throughLine E.[8]
The neighbourhood is also served by the Sur Line of theMetrobús network of dedicated separated lanes and stations for mass-transit buses.[9]
The following people were born and/or raised in Villa Lugano, or resided in the neighbourhood during extended periods of time:
