Jesús María, Córdoba

Jesús María is a city in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, located 49 km due north from the provincial capital Córdoba, on National Route 9, within the valley of the Sierras Chicas. It has about 27,000 inhabitants as per the census-ar|2001.

The origin of the city was a ranch ("estancia") founded by missionaries of the Society of Jesus in 1618. A convent not far from the city, dating back to the 18th century, is preserved and hosts the National Jesuit Museum. The Jesuit Block and Estancias of Córdoba were named World Heritage site in 2000.

Jesús María is an agricultural center for the production of maize, lentils, broad beans, peas, chickpeas and saffron.

Every year since 1966, during ten days in January, the city hosts the "Festival Nacional de la Doma y el Folclore" (Horse Training and Folklore Festival), which gathers around 200,000 national and international attendants.

References

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* [http://www.cordobaglobal.com.ar/schicas/jmaria.htm Córdoba Global] — Overview of Jesús María.
* [http://www.festival.org.ar/ Festival de Doma y Folklore de Jesús María] — Official website.
* [http://www.argentinaxplora.com/activida/legado/folk/jesusmar.htm ArgentinaXplora] — "Festival de Doma y Folklore de Jesús María."
* [http://www.enjoy-argentina.org/cordoba-historia-jesus-maria.php Enjoy Argentina] — Historical and touristic information.