Villa Martelli

In 1910, a quiet transformation began in the vast landscape north of Buenos Aires. This marked the nascent beginnings of Villa Martelli. A simple land auction, orchestrated by Banco Español del Río de la Plata, set in motion a chain of events that would shape this unique barrio within Vicente López. Villa Martelli officially emerged on May 6, 1910. This date commemorates the land division overseen by Romano Barroca. However, some argue that a later auction in 1911, by Bacigaluppi and Rua, holds the true founding claim, due to clearer documentation. Regardless of the precise date, Villa Martelli didn’t spring from a grand declaration. Instead, it organically grew out of these land sales between 1910 and 1911. Villa Martelli’s boundaries, initially defined in 1964, were later expanded in 1980. This expansion, under Intendente Pedro Augusto Orsini, stretched the barrio east to the Panamericana Highway, encompassing the Barrio Padilla and its train station. This station, part of the Belgrano Norte Line, now connects Villa Martelli to Retiro in Buenos Aires and Villa Rosa in Pilar. The name “Villa Martelli” itself is shrouded in local lore. Some attribute it to César Martelli, a prominent land auctioneer. Others believe it honors Mario Martelli (or possibly Martello), a caretaker of the area’s early estates. Villa Martelli, despite its unassuming beginnings, is no ordinary neighborhood. It is the “National Capital of Chess,” thanks to the Círculo de Ajedrez de Villa Martelli. Founded in 1954, it boasts one of the world’s largest buildings dedicated to chess. The club has hosted chess royalty, including world champions Max Euwe, Anatoly Karpov, and Garry Kasparov. It even witnessed the final match of Grandmaster Miguel Najdorf. In 2011, Villa Martelli experienced a presidential first. Cristina Fernández de Kirchner inaugurated the Tecnópolis science and technology park, a former army barracks site. This marked the first time a democratically elected president visited the barrio, a testament to its growing prominence. So, as you stand in Villa Martelli, you’re not merely in a suburb of Buenos Aires. You’re standing on land with a rich, layered history. It’s a place where the quiet moves of chess grandmasters echo the whispers of land auctions past, a place where scientific innovation thrives alongside the legacy of local traditions.