The Long Struggle between Santa Fé and the San Javier River

Abstract

The site known as “Santa Fe La Vieja” is situated in the central region of the present Province of Santa Fe (see maps.) The surrounding landscape basically consists of flat lowlands with some very subtle undulations, a formation known as albardones (terraces) when located next to rivers. The existence of this geomorphology gave rise to the location of the settlement, as it allowed the city to be built next to the river. Access to the San Javier River, the only available communication channel, made survival, in its most absolute and integral sense, possible for the population. The river facilitated travel, commerce, food supply, and constituted a means of defence. The settlement’s position on the terraces also offered protection from the river’s flood cycles. Depending on seasonal rain conditions, Santa Fe was frequently totally surrounded by water, resulting from the raised river level. Whilst the settlement itself was safe from flooding, it became temporarily isolated from the surrounding lower countryside.