Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento
—  Capital city  —
Basilica del Sanctísimo Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Coordinates: 34°28′17″S 57°50′39″W
Country	Uruguay
Department	Colonia Department
Founded	1680
Founder	Manuel Lobo
Elevation	27 m (89 ft)
Population (2004)
• Total	21,714
Time zone	UTC -3
Postal code	70000
Area code(s)	+598 452

Colonia del Sacramento (formerly the Portuguese Colónia 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 Colonia Department. It has a population of around 22,000.

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 centre and various government buildings.

Population

In 2004 Colonia del Sacramento had a population of 21,714.

Year	Population
1963	13,337
1975	17,046
1985	19,102
1996	22,200
2004	21,714

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay

History

Founded in 1680 by Portugal as Colónia 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, being later incorporated in Brazil after 1816, when the entire Banda Oriental (Uruguay) was seized by the government of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves 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:

From	To	Rule	Reason for Handover
1680	1680	Portugal	conquered by José de Garro
1680	1681	Spain	Provisional Treaty of Lisbon
1681	1705	Portugal	conquered in the War of Spanish Succession
1705	1713	Spain	Treaty of Utrecht
1714	1762	Portugal	First Cevallos expedition
1762	1763	Spain	Treaty of Paris (1763)
1763	1777	Portugal	Second Cevallos expedition
1777	1811	Spain	Revolt led by José Gervasio Artigas
1811	1817	Liga Federal	Luso-Brazilian invasion
1817	1822	Portugal	Brazilian Declaration of Independence
1822	1828	Brazil	Cisplatine War
1828	present	Uruguay

Colonia del Sacramento
Climate chart (explanation)
J F M A M J J A S O N D     92   27 20     97   26 20     116   24 17     95   21 15     83   17 12     61   14 8     64   13 8     76   15 9     69   17 11     106   20 13     109   22 16     71   25 18 Average max. and min. temperatures in °C Precipitation totals in mm Source: Zoover (in Portuguese)
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.6   81 68     3.8   79 68     4.6   75 63     3.7   70 59     3.3   63 54     2.4   57 46     2.5   55 46     3   59 48     2.7   63 52     4.2   68 55     4.3   72 61     2.8   77 64 Average max. and min. temperatures in °F Precipitation totals in inches

Climate

Colonia del Sacramento has a mild humid subtropical climate, described by the Köppen climate classification as Cfa. Summers are warm and winters are cool, with relatively frequent frosts and fog. The precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with an average of 1,039 mm (40.91 in), and the annual average temperature is 17 °C (63 °F).

Urban fabric

City was developed on a peninsula, protruding in Río de la Plata. The Portuguese built Old City - 16 ha large Barrio Histórico - was enclosed with a fortification wall across the peninsula in the site of present day Calle Ituzaingó. Fortification wall was removed after 1777 and final parts - in 1859. Portuguese part of the city has street network of irregular planning.

Outside the fortification walls the historical part of the city was planned in Spanish colonial style with the characteristic checkerboard planning.

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 is frequent ferry service across the Río de la Plata between the two cities, with fast ferries 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:

Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Uruguay
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv
Reference	747
Region **	Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription	1995 (19th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

• 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, jewelry, 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
• Plaza de toros Real de San Carlos, a Bullring included in an old tourist complex now abandoned.

Gallery

• Views of the ''Barrio Histórico''
• 

  Map of the Old City in ceramic tiles

• 

  View of the historic district from the top of the lighthouse

• 

  Portón de Campo, the City Gate

• 

  Another view of the City Gate

• 

  Lighthouse at Colonia del Sacramento

• 

  Calle San Pedro, a typical street in the historic district

• 

  The 1866 Wharf of Colonia

• 

  On the river wall at the banks of the Río de la Plata.

Transportation

Colonia del Sacramento is served by three ferry boat lines from Buenos Aires, Argentina: "Buquebus", "Seacat Colonia" 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, 30 kilometres (19 mi) distant, and Fray Bentos. There is also a local airport which can receive light aircraft. There is a project in planning to lengthen the runway and recommence flights to Buenos Aires (this was done in the past)and other cities within Uruguay.

The city is served by Laguna de los Patos International Airport located 17km from Colonia along route 1.

Consular representation

Argentina maintains a consulate in Colonia del Sacramento.

Twin town/sister city

• Pelotas, Brazil

See also

• List of diplomatic missions in Uruguay#Consulate in Colonia del Sacramento

External links

• Article on Colonia del Sacramento, Official Portal of the Uruguayan Government
• 360° Virtual Tours of Colonia del Sacramento - Uruguay360.com.uy
• Tourist information about Colonia del Sacramento
• Tourist guide about Colonia del Sacramento – photos, hosting and attractions of Colonia del Sacramento attractions
• Colonia del Sacramento Website
• INE map of Colonia del Sacramento