Sucre | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capital Section | |||||
Panorama of Sucre
|
|||||
|
|||||
Nickname(s): La Ciudad de los cuatro Nombres (The City of the four names) | |||||
Motto: Aqui nació la Libertad (Freedom was born here) | |||||
Location of Sucre within Bolivia. | |||||
Coordinates: 19°3′0″S 65°15′0″W / 19.05000°S 65.25000°W | |||||
Country | Bolivia | ||||
Departament | Chuquisaca Department | ||||
Province | Oropeza Province | ||||
Founded |
1538
|
||||
Founded by | Pedro Anzures as “La Plata” in 1538 | ||||
Government | |||||
• Type | C.S. Municipal Autonomous Government | ||||
• Mayor | Moises Torres (LIDER) | ||||
Elevation | 2,810 m (9,220 ft) | ||||
Population (2011) | |||||
• Total | 300,000 | ||||
Demonym(s) | Capitalino (a) Sucrense |
||||
Time zone | BOT (UTC−4) | ||||
Area code | (+591) 4 | ||||
Climate | Cwb | ||||
Website | www |
||||
Official name | Historic City of Sucre | ||||
Type | Cultural | ||||
Criteria | iv | ||||
Designated | 1991 (15th session) | ||||
Reference no. | 566 | ||||
State Party | Bolivia | ||||
Region | Latin America and the Caribbean |
1538
Sucre (Spanish: [ˈsukɾe]) is the constitutional capital of Bolivia, the capital of the Chuquisaca Department, and the 6th most populated city in Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of 2,810 meters (9,214 feet). This relative high altitude gives the city a cool temperate climate year-round and much thinner air.
On November 30, 1538, Sucre was founded under the name Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo (City of Silver of New Toledo) by Pedro Anzures, Marqués de Campo Redondo. In 1559, the Spanish King Philip II established the Audiencia de Charcas in La Plata with authority over an area which covers what is now Paraguay, southeastern Peru, Northern Chile and Argentina, and much of Bolivia. The Audiencia de Charcas was a subdivision of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1776, when it was transferred to the newly created Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. In 1601 the Recoleta Monastery was founded by the Franciscans and in 1609 an archbishopric was founded in the city. In 1624 St Francis Xavier University of Chuquisaca was founded.
Very much a Spanish city during the colonial era, the narrow streets of the city centre are organised in a grid, reflecting the Andalusian culture that is embodied in the architecture of the city's great houses and numerous convents and churches. Sucre remains the seat of the Roman Catholic Church in Bolivia, and a common sight is members of religious orders dressed in traditional costume. For much of its colonial history, Sucre's temperate climate was preferred by the Spanish royalty and wealthy families involved in silver trade coming from Potosí. Testament to this is the Glorieta Castle. Sucre's University (Universidad Mayor Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca) is one of the oldest universities in the new world.