Sarmiento Park

The park's background goes back to 1871, when the First National Industrial Exhibition, backed by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, was held on grounds that later became part of the park. Its main building, the Pabellon de las Industrias, was known for its Art Nouveau woodwork and ironwork and stood until it was destroyed by a deliberate fire in 1965.

In 1889 the project planner Miguel Crisol commissioned Carlos Thays, who later became an Argentine national, to design the park. Thays laid it out on a plateau overlooking the La Canada stream to the west and the University of Cordoba campus to the south. Landscaping of 17 hectares began in 1890, and the park opened in 1911 and was named after Sarmiento, the former president who promoted the national education system. Its style reflects the Belle Epoque.

Sources differ on its extent, with English-language sources giving about 17 hectares for the landscaped park, and it is bounded by four major avenues. It has pedestrian paths, an artificial lake with two islands, Isla Crisol and Isla Encantada, joined by footbridges, a skating rink, an open-air theatre, playgrounds and viewpoints.

The Teatro Griego, opened in 1932, has semicircular tiers and a capacity of nearly 2,000. A monument to Dante Alighieri, with marble sculpture by Francisco Petroni, was unveiled in 1930, and an equestrian statue of General Manuel Belgrano stands in an adjoining plaza at the eastern end. The Paseo del Bicentenario, inaugurated in 2010, holds 201 painted concrete rings, each representing a year of Argentine history.

A zoo was created in the park in 1915 following an initiative by Jose Scherer. According to the source it was neglected for some years, reopened in 2006 and later converted into the Parque de la Biodiversidad, a wildlife rescue centre for animals harmed by illegal trafficking or kept as pets, though the article's dates are not fully consistent with one another.

In 2017 the National Commission of Monuments, Places and Historic Assets declared the park a National Historic Monument in recognition of its historical, landscape and artistic value. The park sits a few blocks from downtown, so it fits easily into a day in the city. A private guided visit can combine it with the historic centre.

Because the park stands on a plateau a few blocks from downtown, it offers a green counterpart to the dense historic centre and sits within easy reach of the university district. Its Belle Epoque layout, lake islands and monuments reward an unhurried walk, and the Paseo del Coniferal viewpoint, opened in 1930, adds views across the surroundings.