Casilda

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the saint, see Casilda of Toledo.

Cities and towns in Argentina Casilda Province Santa Fe Department Caseros Population 31,911 Demonym casildense Area 384 km² Density 83.1 inhab/km² Location 33°3′ S 61°10′ W Phone code +54 3464 CPA base S2170 Mayor Eduardo Rosconi Party Justicialist Party

Casilda is a city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is the head town of the Caseros Department, and lies about 45 km west from Rosario and 202 km south-southwest from the provincial capital Santa Fe, on National Route 33. It has a population of about 32,000 inhabitants (2001 census [INDEC]).

Casilda began as an agricultural colony, created in 1870 by the Spanish merchant and banker Carlos Casado del Alisal, in lands acquired from the ranch Los Desmochados. Casado del Alisal named it Colonia Candelaria (Candelaria was a stop in the way from Rosario to Mendoza). On 11 November 1873 the colony officially became a town, named Villa Casilda (after Casado del Alisal's mother).

Casilda produced the Argentine first shipment of wheat to the European market. In 1883 the railway (Ferrocarril Oeste Santafesino) reached the town, prompting an accelerated growth and bringing prosperity. Casilda became a city on 19 November 1907.

The city is home to a Rural Extension Agency of the National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA) and the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences of the National University of the Littoral (UNL).

The economy of the area is based on agriculture, especially soybean, wheat and corn; cattle farming has been largely displaced to less fertile lands and feed lots by the advance of these crops. Casilda also hosts flour mills, fertilizer factories, and many other industries, usually in the form of small and medium enterprises or cooperatives. In addition to that, Casilda produces honey and has received the title of Provincial Capital of Honey.

[edit] Notable natives

• Automobile designer Horacio Pagani [1]
• Private mail/courier businessman Oscar Andreani [2]

[edit] References

• Municipal information — Municipal Affairs Federal Institute (IFAM), Municipal Affairs Secretariat, Ministry of Interior, Argentina.
• Inforama — Municipal information at the official website of the Santa Fe provincial government.
• Casilda at LiveArgentina.com.
• Casilda.com — City portal, daily updated news.
• Casilda, un lugar en el Mercosur — City portal.