Morón, Buenos Aires

Morón(Spanish pronunciation:[moˈɾon]) is a city in theArgentineprovinceofBuenos Aires, capital of theMorónpartido, located in theGreater Buenos Airesmetropolitan area, at34°39′S58°37′W﻿ / ﻿34.650°S 58.617°W﻿ /-34.650; -58.617.Located 20 km (13 mi) west ofDowntown Buenos Aires, Morón is easily reached via bus alongAvenida Rivadavia, viaNational Highway 7, and theSarmiento railway line.
The location, which was originally settled by theQuerandípeople, was deeded in the late 16th century by CaptainJuan de Garayto Captain Juan Ruiz de Ocaña. The site later became a stop along theCamino Realfrom Buenos Aires toCórdoba, particularly after the construction of a pontoon bridge over the Morón Brook by Pedro Márquez in 1771.Cañada de Morónwas officially established in 1785, and the village became a popular vacation spot for wealthy residents from Buenos Aires and other nearby towns. Francisco de Merlo, namesake of the city ofMerloto the west, became the area's principal landowner at the time.
No consensus exists among historians as to the origin of the city's name. Possible namesakes include: Diego Morón, whose widow, Isabel Torres Briseño, was one of the area's landowners in the 18th century; Pedro Morán, another local landowner; the town ofMorón de la Frontera, inAndalucia,Spain, from which many of the town's first residents originated; and San Pedro de Morón, thepatron saintof a local doyenne at the time.
TheBattle of Márquez Bridgetook place at the site in 1829. A pivotal engagement in the era'sArgentine civil warsbetweenUnitariansandFederalists, it resulted in a victory for the Federalists underJuan Manuel de Rosasand the Governor ofSanta Fe Province,Estanislao López, over GeneralJuan Lavalle, who was forced to relinquish the governorship he had usurped five months earlier; Rosas' dominion over Buenos Aires Province would continue until 1852.
Wheat farms began to displace cattle ranches around Morón in the 1850s, and in 1859, theBuenos Aires Western Railwayreached the town. Foreseeing accelerated growth, the local gentry in 1859 commissioned urbanistPedro Benoitto create its master plan.  A large population ofItalianssettled in Morón subsequently, and in 1867, this community founded the local Mutual Aid Society;Italywould later open aconsulatein the city. The Cathedral of Inmaculada Concepción del Buen Viaje was opened for mass in 1871, and completed in 1885. A smallJewishcommunity also settled here.
Morón was the site of aRadical Civic Unionuprising in 1893, during which theNational Autonomist Partycity government was briefly deposed before federal troops restored the latter to office. TheRationalistCity Hall, designed byAlejandro Bustilloand adorned with sculptures andbas-reliefsbyJosé Fioravanti, was completed in 1939. Growth in the manufacturing sector led to the city's tripling in population between the 1947 and 1960 censuses, and in 1960, the privateUniversidad de Morónwas established. Population growth subsequently slowed, and Morón acquired a suburban, largely middle class profile. The city was again in the eye of a political storm when, in 1989, MayorJuan Carlos Rousselotof theJusticialist Partywas impeached on corruption charges by the UCR-dominated City Council; Rousselot was returned to office by voters in 1991. Former CouncilwomanMargarita Stolbizerand former MayorMartín Sabbatella(1999 to 2009) both became prominent in national politics.
Among the most notable attractions in Morón are the central square designed by Benoit, Plaza Libertador San Martín, the Cathedral, seat of theRoman CatholicBishop of Morón, and theNational Aeronautics Museum(Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica) of theArgentine Air Force.Deportivo Morón, the localassociation footballteam, was established in 1947.
The city is the birthplace of numerous notable figures in Argentine sports, culture, and history, includingauto rallychampionsDiegoandOscar Aventín; the last dictator of Argentina, GeneralReynaldo Bignone; humoristDiego Capusotto; radio host Beto Casella; CongressmenMartín SabbatellaandMargarita Stolbizer;Academy Award-winning composerGustavo Santaolalla; andInternet celebrityLeonardo Fabián Belizán known as "El Gozador". The footballerCristian Daniel Ledesmaand the musicianMilo Jwere also born in Morón.