Everything about Colonia Uruguay totally explained
Colonia del Sacramento (formerly the Portuguese
Colônia do Sacramento) is a
city in southwestern
Uruguay, by the
Río de la Plata, facing
Buenos Aires,
Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the
departamento of
Colonia. It has a population of 21,714 (2004 census).
It is renowned for its historic quarter, a
World Heritage Site. Modern Colonia del Sacramento produces
textiles and has a
free trade zone, in addition to a
polytechnic center and various government buildings.
History
Founded in 1680 by
Portugal as
Colônia do Sacramento, the colony was later disputed by the
Spanish who settled on the opposite bank of the river at Buenos Aires. The colony was conquered by
José de Garro in 1680, but returned to Portugal the next year. It was conquered again by the Spanish in March 1705 after a siege of five months, but given back in the
Treaty of Utrecht. Another attack during the
Spanish-Portuguese War, 1735-1737, failed.
It kept changing hands from crown to crown due to treaties such as the
Treaty of Madrid in 1750 and the
Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1777, until it remained with the Spanish. It then transferred to Portuguese control again, and later to the
Brazilians after 1816, when the entire
Banda Oriental (Uruguay) was seized by the
Rio de Janeiro government and renamed the
Cisplatina province.
Now part of the independent country of Uruguay, Colonia del Sacramento has expanded to the north and east, but the original
Barrio Histórico (historic quarter) retains its irregular, terrain-fitting street plan built by the Portuguese, contrasting with the wider, orthogonal
calles in the newer Spanish area.
Timeline of rule
The rule from 1680 to present (with flag of the period) is:
Points of interest
The
Barrio Histórico (historic quarter) section of Colonia del Sacramento is designated a
World Heritage Site by
UNESCO. It is a popular tourist attraction for visitors from Buenos Aires, and there's frequent ferry service across the Río de la Plata between the two cities, with
hydrofoils completing the journey in just 50 minutes. The historical section of Colonia, which has some cobblestone streets built by the Portuguese in the 17th century, is within walking distance of the ferry terminal. Among the notable visitor attractions around the tree-lined
Plaza Mayor (main square) are:
- Portón de Campo – the City Gate and wooden drawbridge
- Lighthouse and convent ruins of the 17th century Convent of San Francisco
- Basilica del Sanctísimo Sacramento – the Basilica of the Holy Sacrament, built of stone by the Portuguese in 1808
- Portuguese Museum – constructed in the 18th century, it exhibits Portuguese furnishings, jewellry, uniforms and old maps of Portuguese naval expeditions
- Casa de Nacarello – an 18th century Portuguese house
- Municipal Museum – rebuilt by the Spanish in 1835 as the Casa del Almirante Brown, it exhibits artifacts and documents of the city's different periods and cultures
- Viceroy's House – the Casa del Virrey, reconstructed from the original ruins
- Iglesia Matriz – the oldest church in Uruguay, dating from 1695-99
Gallery
Image:Colo do sac 1.jpg|Portón de Campo, the City Gate
Image:Portón de Campo (Colonia, Uruguay).jpg|Another view of the City Gate
Image:Colonia de Sacramento.jpg|Lighthouse at Colonia del Sacramento
Image:ColoniaSacramento.JPG|Typical street
Transportation
Colonia del Sacramento is served by two ferry boat lines from Buenos Aires, Argentina: "Buquebus" and "Colonia Express".
Two principal highways terminate at Colonia: Highway #1 connects Colonia to
Montevideo and points east; Highway #21 connects to points north, including the
Aarón de Anchorena National Park, distant, and
Fray Bentos.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Colonia Uruguay'.
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