Palermo, Buenos Aires

Palermo stands as a distinctive district within Buenos Aires, situated to the city's northern expanse adjacent to the Rio de la Plata. Encompassing an expansive land area spanning 17.4 square kilometers and a populace numbering 256,927, Palermo claims renown as the world's epicenter of polo. Each year, the local area hosts the Argentine Polo Open, an international championship for elite club-level polo. Since 1893, this event takes place at the Campo Argentino de Polo in Palermo.

Palermo sprawls across its terrain, encompassing smaller enclaves with distinct characters such as the stylish Palermo Soho and the creative hub of Palermo Hollywood. The latter enclave houses a collection of diverse eateries, chic cocktail venues, and unconventional fashion boutiques. Parque Tres de Febrero, featuring a rose garden, planetarium, and serene rowing lakes, draws visitors seeking picnics and strolls.

The area's nomenclature traces back to the enduring Franciscan abbey of "Saint Benedict of Palermo," an alternate name for Saint Benedict the Moor. This saint, who lived from 1526 to 1589, serves as a secondary patron of Palermo, the capital of Sicily.

Palermo underwent rapid expansion in the latter part of the 19th century, particularly during Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's presidency. Sarmiento's tenure led to the creation of the Buenos Aires Zoological Gardens and Parque Tres de Febrero in 1874, followed by the establishment of Plaza Italia and the Palermo Race Track in 1876.

In the 20th century, Palermo saw the emergence of the Buenos Aires Botanical Gardens (1902), Jorge Newbery Airport (1948), a water purification facility, various sports clubs, the Galileo Galilei planetarium (1966), and the Buenos Aires Japanese Gardens (1967).