| Villa de María del Río Seco | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
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Villa de María del Río Seco
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Province | Córdoba |
| Department | Río Seco |
| Population | |
| • Total | 3,819 |
| Time zone | ART (UTC-3) |
| CPA base | X5248 |
| Dialing code | +54 3522 |
Villa de María del Río Seco (usually shortened to Villa de María, not to be confused with Villa María) is a town in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It has 3,819 inhabitants per the 2001 census [INDEC], and is the head town of the Río Seco Department. It lies in the north of the province, by National Route 9, about 27 km (17 mi) south of the provincial border with Santiago del Estero and 170 km (106 mi) north-northeast of the provincial capital Córdoba.
Villa de María was founded in 1796 or 1797 by the Marquis Rafael de Sobremonte (then to be Viceroy of the Río de la Plata), with the name of Río Seco. Its name was changed to the current one by provincial governor Roque Ferreira on 26 May 1858.
The town was the birthplace of the poet Leopoldo Lugones (1874–1938), whose childhood house is today a museum and a National Historic Monument. The area was also the stage of the assassination of the caudillo of Entre Ríos Province Francisco Ramírez, in 1821.
Villa de María currently holds the record for the highest air temperature ever recorded in South America. On the 2nd January 1920 air temperatures reached 49.1 °C (120.4 °F) in the shade[1].