The lower level
Cabildo foundations.
Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Miguel — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Miguel — CC BY-SA 2.0
The Área Fundacional Museum stands at the heart of Mendoza's old city on Plaza Pedro del Castillo, where Pedro del Castillo founded the city in 1561 and where the colonial town hall, the Cabildo, stood until the 1861 earthquake destroyed it. After the earthquake the site held the city slaughterhouse from 1877 and then the municipal market from 1930. The museum opened in 1993 and shows historic and archaeological pieces from the area; its highlight is the lower level, where glass panels reveal the remains of the Cabildo's foundations and the old town fountain buried by the earthquake. Across the square stand the stone ruins of an old colonial church. The visit is short and tells the story of Mendoza before it was rebuilt on a new plan after the earthquake, a good complement to Plaza Independencia. A small entry fee is charged, and hours change, so check before going.
Cabildo foundations.
Buried by the quake.
Across the square.
Plaza Pedro del Castillo, the old city, Mendoza
The city was founded there in 1561 and stayed its centre until the 1861 earthquake destroyed it and it was rebuilt elsewhere.
