Mataderos (Spanish for "slaughterhouses") is a ''

barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...

'' (neighbourhood) in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. It is one of the three ''barrios'' that make up the Comuna 9, alongside Liniers and Parque Avellaneda. Located in the south-west end of the city, it takes its name from the

livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...

market and various

slaughterhouse In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a mea ...

s located within it.

History

For much of its history, the area was a meeting point between the city and the countryside, and thus became a hub for rural commerce, and the main stop for

gaucho A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, the southern part of Bolivia, and the south of Chilean Patago ...

s inside city limits. Many famous '' payadas'' (improvised lyric contests) took place in the neighborhood bars. Estatua El Resero

Mataderos is the site of the ''Mercado de Liniers'' (the National Cattle Ranchers' Market), established in 1900, where up to 50,000 cattle are sold weekly to supply the beef market for the

Greater Buenos Aires Greater Buenos Aires (, GBA), also known as the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (, AMBA), refers to the urban agglomeration comprising the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of B ...

area; its headquarters, an

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...

arcade completed in 1899, also houses the ''Museo de los Corrales Viejos'' (Old Corrals Museum). The courtyard facing the headquarters is known for Emilio Sarniguet's monument, ''El Resero'' (The Herdsman), completed in 1931 and moved to its present location in 1934. A 2001 municipal ordinance mandating the market's relocation to San Vicente, southwest of Buenos Aires, has been repeatedly postponed due to cattle vendor objections regarding the cost of relocation.

Features

Block parties at the old marketplace on ''Avenida de los Corrales'', sometimes featuring tango and milonga, are famous for their vibrancy. The neighborhood also features a lively commercial area along Eva Perón avenue, and the colorful Mataderos Fair; established on June 8, 1986, the Mataderos Fair is held on Sundays and showcases

traditions, cuisine, and crafts. One of the city's largest

public housing Public housing, also known as social housing, refers to Subsidized housing, subsidized or affordable housing provided in buildings that are usually owned and managed by local government, central government, nonprofit organizations or a ...

developments, ''Los Perales'', was built just south of the Liniers Market by

Juan Perón Juan Domingo Perón (, , ; 8 October 1895 – 1 July 1974) was an Argentine military officer and Statesman (politician), statesman who served as the History of Argentina (1946-1955), 29th president of Argentina from 1946 to Revolución Libertad ...

's administration in 1949. The neighborhood

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club,

Club Atlético Nueva Chicago Club Atlético Nueva Chicago is an Argentine sports club based in Mataderos, a neighborhood in the west side of Buenos Aires, formerly called "Nueva Chicago". The club's nickname, ''El Torito'' ("The Little Bull") is an allusion to legendary 1930 ...

, currently play in the Primera Nacional, the second division of Argentine football league system.

Famous people from Mataderos

* Justo Suárez, known as ''El Torito de Mataderos'' ("the Little Bull from Mataderos"), boxer. Fought for the

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...

world title in 1931, and lost to Billy Petrolle. * Ernesto Bessone, Argentine stock-car race driver. * Alberto Castillo, singer and actor * Nicolás Cabré, actor. *The Lombard Twins, twin dancers, choreographers, actors, directors, composers and producers, known for their role in the Step Up series. * Saúl Ubaldini, trade unionist and politician

References

Information
{{coord, 34, 40, S, 58, 30, W, region:AR_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires