Plaza Italia (Italy Square), Mendoza (must see)

Plaza Italia is one of the “checkerboard” squares planned by the Argentinian government for the New City of Mendoza after the earthquake of 1861. In 1919, the “Loba Capitolina” (Capitoline Wolf), a bronze sculpture of a she-wolf suckling twin infants (Romulus and Remus), inspired by the legend of the founding of Rome, was setup in the center of the square. In 1951, the square was remodeled with the addition of a central fountain, a stunning work by Luis Perlotti, representing Italo-Argentinian fellowship. At the base of the composition were placed Italian and Argentinian shields, on the sides – two stone figures, 3.3 meters each, representing Argentina with a harvest and Italy with a book. In the center of the composition, stands a grandiose figure of Rome. In 1996, a new sculpture was installed in the central fountain of the square. The figure, designed by Giorgio Igne, represents a woman leading a horse with one of her hands and keeping the other on a wheel with Italian regional insignias. This sculpture symbolizes happy and prosperous Argentinian future, based on the lessons of its history and past.