This city was founded on
April 19th, 1593 by Francisco de Argañaraz y Murguía. It is sorrounded by
mountains within the triangle made up by the tall herbaceous of Nieva and the rivers
Xibi-Xibi and Grande. Right from this place, the ravine of Humahuaca begins to
ascend; a natural climbing path to the Puna, with grounds of changing tones
that range from blue to red.
Its modern buildings alternate with others of
colonial style. The city has a modern
receiving infrastructure such as comfortable hotels, restaurants, and
cafeterias. It has a quite active commercial centre where you can purchase
sweaters made of threads of llamita and merino, as well as several regional
articles, especially in the shops of Belgrano, Alvear, Lavalle or Necochea streets. Walking around its neighbourhoods, you will
get to know about its people's customs and environments, its uneven streets,
and the big old houses with
grating windows and flowered yards.
Whenever there is a
religious festivity, people from these places walk down the mountains making up
parades and playing music with typical local instruments.
People from Jujuy are enthusiast of a carnival that displays singular auctonous
colours. Some of the traditional festivities are la Mancha Fiesta, in La Quiaca,
and El Toreo de la Vincha in
Casabindo. Those who travel to this city during Christmas will have the chance
to see traditional aspects such as the typical Holy Families, Christmas carols,
the antique Danza de las cintas (Dance of the ribbons) or Trence y Destrence
(Braiding and Unbriding) carried out by groups of children, all of them,
expressions of lively significance and
colouring. Carnival festivities and
the Latin American National festivity of the student from September 17th, to
23th also reach singular importance. From August 23rd, the week of the
exodo takes place, as a reminder of this fact that took place during the
Independence War, when the people from Jujuy escorted the General
Belgrano in his withdrawal leaving a devastated land to the realists.