Uruguay

Colonia del Sacramento

From the Loney Planet Guide

Colonia was founded in 1680 by Manuel Lobo, the Portuguese governor of Rio de Janeiro, and occupied a strategic position almost exactly opposite Buenos Aires across the Río de la Plata. The town grew in importance as a source of smuggled trade items, undercutting Spain’s jealously defended mercantile monopoly and provoking repeated sieges and battles between Spain and Portugal.

Although the two powers agreed over the cession of Colonia to Spain around 1750, it wasn’t until 1777 that Spain took final control of the city. From this time, the city’s commercial importance declined as foreign goods proceeded directly to Buenos Aires.

 

The ceramic map on the side of the library or maybe museum building supports the history. We're looking at just two countries, Portugese Brazil in the north, and Spanish Argentina, south of the River Plata. Buenos Aires was tiny and, I assume, Rio was not much bigger. We can see Colonie du Sacramento exactly across from B. A. To judge from this, as in so many places in South America, at least in the East, the French got in there as well for a time.

 

 

Moderrn Colonia is much less war-like and a peaceful and artsy part of Uruguay and vacation destiantion and weekend escape for Argentinians, who, during the summer pack the town.

 

 

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All part of the charming little historical center of Colonia

 

 

Where streets are paved with cobble stones and street signs are made of ceramic tiles.

 

 

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