| Rafaela | |
| Native Name Lang: | es |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Nickname: | La Perla del Oeste |
| Pushpin Map: | Argentina Santa Fe Province#Argentina |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Rafaela in Argentina |
| Coordinates: | -31.2667°N -90°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Argentina |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | Department |
| Subdivision Name2: | Castellanos |
| Established Date: | 1881 |
| Founder: | Guillermo Lehmann |
| Leader Party: | UCR |
| Leader Title: | Intendant |
| Leader Name: | Leonardo Viotti[1] |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 156 |
| Elevation M: | 90 |
| Population Total: | 110,709 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | rafaelino/a |
| Timezone1: | ART |
| Utc Offset1: | −03:00 |
| Postal Code Type: | CPA base |
| Postal Code: | S2300 |
| Area Code Type: | Dialing code |
| Area Code: | +54 3492 |
| Website: | Official website |
Rafaela is a city in Argentina, located in the central-west region of the Santa Fe Province. It serves as the head of the Castellanos Department and is the third most populous and significant urban center in the province, following Rosario and the provincial capital, Santa Fe. The city is known as "The Pearl of the West" due to its natural, cultural, and architectural beauty. According to the socio-economic survey report by ICEDeL,[2] the city's statistical institute, Rafaela had an estimated population of 111,000 in 2022.
The city was named by its founder, Guillermo Lehmann, in honor of Rafaela Rodríguez de Egusquiza, the wife of his friend and business partner, Félix Egusquiza, who were the original owners of the area.
Rafaela is located in the central-western part of Santa Fe province, along National Route 34. It is situated 96 km northwest of Santa Fe city, 234 km from Rosario, 292 km from Córdoba, and 530 km from Buenos Aires. Additionally, its strategic location facilitates trade routes to the ports of the Pacific Ocean due to its proximity to National Route 19.
Economically, Rafaela stands out for its metalworking and dairy industry, being at the heart of the country's largest and richest dairy basin, making it a principal economic capital.[3] The city is considered a "Gateway to the World" due to its industrial connections with most American, European, Far Eastern, and Asia Minor countries.
Culturally, Rafaela is known as the "Capital of Theater" because of its numerous historic theaters such as the Centro Ciudad de Rafaela, with its Juan B. Lasserre Hall dating back to 1932, and the Sociedad Italiana. It also hosts cultural centers like Centro Cultural La Máscara, established in 1996, amphitheaters, and exhibition halls. Most notably, Rafaela is renowned for its traditional and acclaimed Theater Festival, held annually since 2005.
Rafaela maintains a profile of low-rise houses and a marked contrast of styles across its neighborhoods. The first areas to develop, such as the main square "25 de Mayo," still show traces of the earliest houses. Additionally, older neighborhoods like San Martín (the oldest in the city), 9 de Julio, Sarmiento, Villa Rosas, and Alberdi were among the first to form.
Currently, the city has over 15 towers exceeding 10 stories, along with several other tall buildings. On Mitre Avenue, the two tallest towers in the city can be found: Torre Piamonte and Torre Mitre, both standing at 20 stories and 65 meters high.
Cobblestone streets are still present on the four main avenues and surrounding streets. The presence of these stones as a street covering generates ongoing debate about whether they should remain or be removed. The municipality regularly maintains them, and there are areas in perfect condition.
The quadrant bounded by Tucumán Street, Brasil Avenue, Aconcagua Avenue, and Santa Fe Boulevard, which encloses the neighborhoods of Alberdi, Sarmiento, and Villa Rosas, is the only area in the city where the streets run diagonally compared to the rest of the city. According to a historical account published by the local magazine "El Satélite," this layout dates back to the arrival of the railway, which required construction parallel to the rail lines, resulting in the current street pattern.
The following is an alphabetical list of the 42 neighborhoods that make up the city:
According to the Municipality of Rafaela, the city has a population of 103,000 inhabitants, with 46.5% of the population being under 30 years old.[4] It is located in the central-west region of the Santa Fe province, 96km from the city of Santa Fe, 234km from Rosario, 292km from Córdoba, and 530km from Buenos Aires (the capital city of Argentina).
In general terms, the urban area extends across the Pampean plain, in what is known as the depressed pampas. The central terrain of the city is higher than the surrounding areas, with the slope decreasing towards the north and south. These depressions are the natural slopes through which water flows eastward, part of the Salado basin. For this reason, canals have been constructed on both sides of the city, running west-east. The southern canal has been buried along almost its entire length through the urban area.
The city's layout is in a grid pattern with a central square that covers four blocks and four boulevards that originate from it. The urban geography is homogeneous, except in the northwest area where the streets run diagonally. This abrupt change is due to Bartolomé Mitre Avenue, which was built to shorten the path to the train stations when the railway arrived in Rafaela in the 19th century. This has given a different character to a large part of the city.
The city borders Susana to the south (12 km), Lehmann to the north (12 km), Presidente Roca to the west (12 km), and Bella Italia to the east (12 km) from its main square, 25 de Mayo, forming the Rafaela Metropolitan Area. It has 37 neighborhoods and a microcenter.[5] The National Route 34 has been restructured as it passes through the city, turning it into an avenue with central medians along its entire length, connecting the neighborhoods located to the west.
Unlike many other Argentine cities of similar size, Rafaela is not located on a coast or riverbank, sharing this characteristic with its neighboring city, San Francisco.
In 2008 the municipality of Rafaela created the Department of Administration and Participation (Secretaria de Gestión y Participación, SGP) and after that the government started implementing a process of Participatory budgeting,[6] based on the successful case of Porto Alegre. The main goal of this process is to consolidate and strengthen the importance of citizen participation in the public agenda. The government of the city has implemented the method for three consecutive years. The first one in 2009 was completed; the one for 2010 is now in the stage of implementing the public works that resulted from the participation process; and the third project is in process (SGP, Municipalidad de Rafaela, 2011).[7]
Rafaela has a humid subtropical climate typical of the region—with precipitation typically at its most frequent in summer, and least in winter, with warm to hot summers and mild winters with occasional cold nights.
Rafaela is notable for its metalworking and dairy industries. It is located in the heart of the dairy basin, the largest in South America, making it the principal dairy capital of the region.
Additionally, other significant activities include agriculture and livestock farming. Rafaela has an active industrial park, which has recently expanded with the creation of the Parque de Actividades Económicas de Rafaela (PAER),[8] where the Instituto Tecnológico Rafaela (ITEC) is located.
Tertiary Institutions
As in most of the country, football is the most popular sport in Rafaela, drawing the largest crowds.
The main football teams in the city are:
| Atlético de Rafaela | 1907 | Primera B Nacional | Nuevo Monumental | 20,660 | |
| Club Atlético 9 de Julio | 1904 | Torneo Federal A | Germán Solterman | 8,000 | |
| Club Sportivo Ben Hur | 1940 | Torneo Regional Federal Amateur | Néstor Zenklusen | 11,500 | |
| Club Peñarol | 1936 | Torneo Regional Federal Amateur | República de Villa Rosas | 2,000 | |
| Club Sportivo Norte | 1931 | Torneo Regional Federal Amateur | Sportivo Norte | 1,400 | |
| Club Atlético Ferrocarril del Estado | 1939 | Torneo Regional Federal Amateur | Los Nogales | ||
| Club Atlético Argentino Quilmes | 1916 | Liga Rafaelina | Agustín Giuliani | 4,000 | |
| Club Atlético Juventud | 1905 | Liga Rafaelina |
Similar to other cities, Rafaela has its own football league, the Liga Rafaelina de Fútbol, which includes clubs from Rafaela and Sunchales as well as teams from nearby towns. The league is divided into three categories: Primera A, Primera B (split into North and South zones), and Primera C.
In basketball, Ben Hur stood out by competing in the first division of the Liga Nacional de Básquet, where it won a championship and the title of champion in the South American Basketball League.
The Atlético de Rafaela club has organized motorsport races since 1919. The 500 Millas Argentinas races were held there from 1954 to 1975. The club inaugurated the Autódromo Ciudad de Rafaela in 1953, which has hosted competitions such as Turismo Carretera and TC 2000.
The track is popularly known as "the temple of speed" due to its characteristic oval shape, where the Argentine speed record was set. Gabriel Ponce de León, driving a Honda Civic (STC2000 category), reached 306.38 km/h in 2012.
The city also has a rugby team called Círculo Rafaelino de Rugby (CRAR). Additionally, within the same institution, the various categories of the hockey team, both female and male, and the women's rugby team are notable. It has produced three Pumas players: Hugo Berra, Mayco Vivas, and Pedro Rubiolo.
Rafaela has a velodrome called "Héctor Cassina" at the Club Ciclista de Rafaela, inaugurated in 1991. The city already had a rich history in road cycling, and since then, it has also fostered track cycling, achieving many national and international successes.
In cycling, Luis Vegetti was chosen as the Sportsman of the Year 2010 at the 14th Sports Festival organized by the Municipality of Rafaela. The event, which had a strong turnout, took place in front of the municipal building. Vegetti, a 44-year-old cyclist from Rafaela, had an outstanding year. He won first places in the 750 meters and Olympic Speed events, and a second place in Individual Speed at the Argentine Championship held in Reconquista. He earned gold medals in the 750 meters and the Olympic Speed team event at the Pan-American Championship in Cuba. At the Masters World Cycling Championship in Portugal, he finished fourth in the 750 meters and eighth in the Olympic Speed event. These achievements undoubtedly led to Vegetti being named the city's top athlete of the year.
Rafaela boasts modern cinemas featuring the latest releases. The city's theater offers a continuous variety of theatrical and musical performances recognized locally, provincially, nationally, and internationally.[9]
The city has 11 museums showcasing various cultural and historical aspects.
Some of the most important museums[10] include:
Rafaela has been the birthplace of numerous notable individuals across various fields:
Rafaela is twinned with the following cities around the world:
Fossano, Italy (since 1997)
Carcabuey, Spain (since 2013)