Sucre

Sucre

Sucre judicial capital (pop., 2001: 193,873), Bolivia. Founded by the Spanish (c. 1539) on the site of a Charcas Indian village, it became the capital of the Charcas territory of Upper Peru in 1561 and in 1609 the seat of an archdiocese. Many of its colonial churches survive. It was an early scene (1809) of the revolt against Spain. The Bolivian declaration of independence was signed there in 1825, and it became the capital in 1839. An effort to move the capital to LA PAz in 1898 precipitated a civil war, which left the two cities sharing capital status. Sucre is also the seat of the national supreme court. It is a growing commercial centre. The University of San Francisco Xavier, one of the oldest universities in South America, was founded there in 1624.

Set in a valley surrounded by low mountains, Sucre (population 190,000) is a small, convivial city with a rich colonial heritage evident in its churches and streetscapes. Although La Paz usurped most of the governmental power and is the de facto capital, the supreme court still convenes in Sucre and surenos maintain that here beats the real heart of Bolivian governance. Here we can visit Upper Cretaceous dinosaur tracks in nearly vertical beds of the El Molino Formation. The main dinosaur prints in this concrete quarry were from sauropods (long-necked dinos), therapods (3-toed meat eaters), and hadrosaurs (duck billed dinos).

Sucre was founded in 1538 under the name Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo by Pedro de Anzures, Marqués de Campo Redondo as the Spanish capital of the Charcas, a vast region stretching from southern Peru to Rio de Plata in presentday Argentina. In 1776, when new territorial divisions were created by the Spaniards, the city's name was changed to Chuquisaca.

During the colonial period, La Plata/ Chuquisaca was the most important center in the eastern Spanish territories and heavily influenced Bolivia's history. Independence was declared here on August 6, 1825, and it was here that the new republic was created and named after its liberator, Simon Bolivar. Several years later, the name of the city was changed again to Sucre in honor of the general who promoted the independence movemen t.

Places to Visit

Museo de Arte Indigena
Museo Gutierrez Valenzuela
Museo de Los Ninos Tanga-Tanga
Museo de Historia Natural
Casa de La Cultura
La Glorieta
Museo de La Catedral
Iglesia de La Merced
Museo de La Recoleta
Convento de San Felipe Neri
Iglesia de La Recoleta

Sucre Hotels

Libertad - Calle Anicato Arce 99, Sucre +591 (0) 6 453 101
Los Pinos - Calle Colon 502, Sucre +591 (0) 6 424 403
Sucre Hotel - Bustillo No 113, Sucre +591 (0) 6 431 928
Colonial Hotel - Plaza 25 De Mayo No 3, Sucre +591 (0) 6 424 709
Cruz De Popayan - Calle Loa No 881, Sucre +591 (0) 6 461 706
De Su Merced Hotel - Azurduy Street 16 Sucre
Glorieta Hotel - Bolivar Esq Urcullo 128 Sucre
Real Audiencia Hotel - C.Potosi 142 Sucre
Hotel De Su Merced - C/ Azurduy, 16 - Sucre
Colonial - Plaza 25 De Mayo, 3 - Sucre
Hotel GLORIETA - C/ Bolivar Esq Urcullo, 128 - Sucre
Hotel Cruz De Popayan - Calle Loa No. 881 esquina Colon - Zona Centro - Sucre
Hostal Sucre - Bustillo, 113 - Sucre
Alojamiento El Turista
Alojamiento San Jose Hotel
Hostal Veracruz
Hostal Charcas
Residencial Bolivia Hotel
Hostal San Francisco
Residencial Gloria Sur
Austria Hostal
Casa de Huespedes San Marcos
Casa de Huespedes Colon 220
Grand Hotel

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