Villa Muñoz - Retiro | |
|---|---|
 Emilio Reus Str. in Reus al Norte | |
 Street map of Villa Muñoz | |
 Location of Villa Muñoz in Montevideo | |
| Coordinates:34°53′16″S56°10′37″W / 34.88778°S 56.17694°W /-34.88778; -56.17694 | |
| Country |  Uruguay |
| Department | Montevideo Department |
| City | Montevideo |
Villa Muñoz - Retiro is abarrio (neighbourhood or district) ofMontevideo,Uruguay, borderingAguada andReducto to the west,La Figurita to the north,La Comercial to the east andCordón to the south.
The neighborhood originated at the end of the 19th century, and was populated by European immigrants throughout the first half of the 20th century, especially byAshkenazi Jews, which led to it being known as theJewish quarter of Montevideo.[1] It is an important commercial shopping district, due to the existence of a large number of Jewish-owned wholesale stores.[2][3]
The origin of the neighborhood dates back to the late 1880s during the urban expansion ofMontevideo, when the Spanish businessman Emilio Reus began to build the residential area that bears his name,Reus al Norte.[4] For its construction, more than 2,000 workers were employed, and two tram lines were brought to the area. The works proceeded slowly, and in 1989 the director of the construction company sought credit and began selling the houses that were not yet finished.[5]
Francisco Piria auctioned off the first lots, and the first to make a purchase was PresidentMáximo Tajes himself.[5] However, due to thebaring crisis, the company went bankrupt and became part of the capital of the newly createdBanco Hipotecario, which finished the works and finally sold the homes. In addition, the name of the neighborhood was changed toVilla Muñoz, in honor of the first president of the bank.[6]
During the first half of the 20th century, a large number of Jews, mainly from Eastern Europe, settled in Villa Muñoz, establishing Jewish schools and synagogues.[7] For this reason the neighborhood began to be known as theBarrio de los Judíos (Spanish for 'Jewish Quarter').[8]
The former prison for women of Miguelete Street (closed since 1986), the Estrella del Norte, located in the southwestern edge of thebarrio, had its west wing restored and transformed into a contemporary art exhibition area, theEspacio de Arte Contemporáneo, which opened to the public in June 2010.[9]
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