BOLIVIASucre
FIVE
On May 25, 1809, the first city of Spanish South America revolted against the rule of Spain. That city was Sucre (soo´-kray). This town was originally the site of an Indian village called Chuquisaca (choo-kee-sah´-kah) or Chuquichaca, which means “golden bridge.” In 1538 the Spaniards under Captain Pedro Angules (pay´-dro ahn-goo´lace) settled there and called the place Charcas (chahr´-kahs) and Ciudad de la Plata (thee-oo-thath´ day lah plah´tah), but the natives always clung to the original Indian name. In time the town became the favorite residence and health resort of the rich mine owners of Potosí, some distance away. After the South Americans had won their independence, the name of Chuquisaca was changed to Sucre, in honor of the general who won the last decisive battle of the war and then became the first president of Bolivia. Since that time the city has suffered much from quarrels between the various factions of Bolivia. It is now the nominal capital of the republic, but the seat of government for Bolivia is located in La Paz. Since the government was removed there, Sucre has greatly diminished in importance.
The city is in an elevated valley, being about 8,839 feet above the sea. For this reason it has an exceptionally agreeable climate. In the vicinity are fertile valleys which provide the city markets with fruits and vegetables. The population of the city is about 25,000.
Sucre is laid out regularly. It has broad streets, a large central plaza and a public garden, or promenade, called the Prado. There are nine plazas altogether. That called the “25 de Mayo” has a stream on each side. One of these flows northward and joins the Mamoré (mah-mo-ray´) and so reaches the Amazon. The other turns southeast, going on to the Pilcomayo (peel-ko-my´-o) and at last to the estuary of La Plata (lah-plah´-tah). The Cathedral of Sucre, called the Metropolitan Cathedral, is the richest in Bolivia. It dates from 1553, and possesses an image of solid gold with a rich adornment of jewels, called “The Virgin of Guadalupe (gwah-dah-loo´-pay).” This is said to be worth a million dollars. The legislative palace of Sucre contains handsomely decorated halls; but this building is no longer occupied as such by the national government. Other important buildings are the Cabildo (kah-beel´do), or town hall; the mint, dating from 1572; the courts of justice; and the University of San Francisco Xavier (sahn frahn-this-ko zav´-ih-er; Spanish, hahvee-air´), which was founded in 1624 and has faculties of law, medicine and theology.
At the lower end of the central plaza, or Prado (prah´do) is a pretty chapel called the “Rotunda.” This was erected in 1852 by President Belzu (bale´-thoo), on the spot where an unsuccessful attempt had been made to assassinate him.
Sucre is the seat of the supreme court of Bolivia, and also of the archbishop of La Plata and Charcas, the primate of Bolivia.
The city is not a commercial one. Its only noteworthy manufacture is the “clay dumplings” which are eaten with potatoes by the inhabitants of the Bolivian uplands. In spite of being the capital of the country, it is one of its most isolated towns, because of the difficult character of the roads leading to it. It is reached from the Pacific by way of Challapata (chahl-ya-pah´tah), a station on the Antofagasta (ahn-toe-fah-gahs´-tah) and Oruro Railroad. The city will soon be connected by rail with the region of the west.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATIONILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 5, No. 18, SERIAL No. 142COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMANORURO, BOLIVIA
PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMAN
ORURO, BOLIVIA