Basilica of St. Francis

Located on the corner of Av. España and Necochea St. Facing San Martín Square
Municipal Cultural Secretariat Tel. No.: 0261-4495100
Open Mondays through Sundays from 8a.m. to 12:30a.m. and from 5 to 8:30p.m.

This church belongs to the Franciscan order and is the oldest church in the "new city" built after the earthquake in 1861. It was erected in 1875 and was declared a National Historical Monument. The image of the Virgin of Carmen de Cuyo, patron saint and general of the Andes Army, is venerated in this church. The niche harboring the image of the Virgin also contains the baton presented to her by San Martín. Also on exhibition is an image of St. Anthony that was rescued from the earthquake in 1861. In the southern nave, near the entrance, lie the remains of Merceditas (San Martín´s daughter), who died in 1875, and those of her husband, Mariano Balcarce, who died in Paris in 1885, as well as those of one of San Martín's granddaughter, María Mercedes Balcarce, who died in 1860. The Virgin's niche also contains the flags of Argentina, Chile and Peru.

Mendoza
The city of Mendoza is the capital of the Province of Mendoza and lies 747 m. above sea level and 1,099 km. away from the city of Buenos Aires along national route No.7. Mendoza was founded by Pedro del Castillo in 1561 but was destroyed by an earthquake on 20 March, 1861. The city lies at the foot of the mountain range flanking the Andes and has over 800,000 inhabitants. It is a neat modern city with a large number of drainage ditches and green areas. Its streets witnessed the exploits of our national hero San Martín during his campaigns to liberate Argentina, Chile and Peru. The province is the main wine producing center in America endowed with wonderful environmental conditions for the production of wine. Amongst the sites worth visiting are the Basilica of St. Francis that harbors numerous documents related to San Martín's campaign; the ruins of the Temple of St. Francis; the Government House that preserves the flag of the Andes Army, the Arts and Crafts Market, the Alameda (public walk lined with poplar trees), the "Mirador" (natural scenic viewpoint) terrace, the Civic Center and the San Martín Park.