Sucre, Bolivia

Sucre
Registered Sector: 
Historic City of Sucre
Location and site: 
Situated in the Oriental Cordillera of the Andes, Sucre extends across a wide valley at 2,800 m. above sea level. The site is sheltered by two hills, the Sicasica and the Churuquella. Sucre is 175 km. away from the mining town of Potosi.
Historical Function: 
Trade, culture and politics.
Administrative Status: 
Constitutional capital of the country (since 1900, the government seat has been in La Paz); chief city of the Department of Chuquisaca.
Historical Reference: 
  • In 1538, Pizarro established the authority of Charles-Quint over the region inhabited by the Charcas Indians. The city of La Plata, later known as Sucre, was founded. The first church, San Lazaro, was constructed in 1544.
  • La Plata became the seat of the Bishop and attained the status of city in 1533. The construction of the Metropolitan Cathedral began in 1561.
  • In 1561, La Plata became the capital of the Charcas "audience," which governed Upper Peru, known as Bolivia today. It is attached to the Vice-royalty of Lima (1553-1776), which ruled over Bolivia, Chili and Paraguay before it became part of the Vice-royalty of Rio de La Plata. A large number of churches and convents were built in La Plata, which became a centre of culture. The Jesuits founded the Saint Francis-Xavier University in 1624, and the famous Real Academia Carolina was created in 1776.
  • In its administration, La Plata was associated with the mining town of Potosi during its period of prosperity between 1545 and 1650. The boom of the silver mines transformed the European economy.
  • In 1825, General Sucre's victory in Ayacucho led to Bolivia's independence. The new Republic was named in honour of Bolivar, the "libertador," and its capital city, was named Sucre after the victorious general.
Urban Morphology: 
Sucre is constructed on an open, airy orthogonal grid. A large square, Plaza del 25 de Mayo, occupies the heart of its historic centre. Smaller squares, gardens and green spaces contribute to the harmony of the urban ensemble and its natural context, which is rich in vegetation. The numerous towers and bell towers of the several religious institutions define an elegant skyline within this Andean landscape. These buildings, which date to the beginning of the Spanish period (in the 16th century), combine with later monuments to create a rich repertoire of styles: "Mudéjar," Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Metis, Neoclassical and Classical. The facades, which are generally white, are decorated with brick corners, balconies, cast iron grillwork and wooden shutters, and the roofs are covered with tiles.
Registration Criteria: 
This rich heritage is an excellent illustration, intact and well conserved, of the architectural interbreeding that occurred in Latin America through the assimilation of local traditions and styles imported from Spain. (IV)