Villa Celina, city in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Villa Celina is a neighborhood in La Matanza west of Buenos Aires where Bolivian migrants and their descendants have settled and built their homes. The area contains simple residential buildings, small shops, food stalls, parks, and local markets that serve as gathering places for the community.
The land was originally inhabited by the Querandí people before Spanish colonizers divided it in the early 1600s, later becoming farmland marked by earth walls. In modern times, Bolivian migrants arrived and settled here from the late 1900s onward, with the neighborhood gaining official recognition as a distinct locality in 2013.
Villa Celina reflects the presence of Bolivian immigrants who have made the neighborhood their home and shaped its character through shops, food stalls, and daily traditions. Walking through the streets, visitors encounter a community that actively keeps its language, customs, and cultural practices alive through seasonal gatherings and shared spaces.
The neighborhood is easily accessible by public buses from Buenos Aires, with main streets straightforward to navigate. Visit at any time, though weekend markets and September celebrations offer the most active street scenes and shopping opportunities.
An airplane made the world's first nighttime flight in 1910 on the Madero family estate that once stood in this area, a fact still remembered in local stories and pride. A statue or marker may reference this aviation milestone, though few visitors know about this early connection to flight history.
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