Sucre, Bolivia

Sucre is the constitutional capital of the South American nation of Bolivia. It shares capital status with the city of La Paz, which serves as the legislative and administrative capital. Over the centuries, Sucre has also been called La Plata, Charcas, and Chuquisaca. In 1991, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized Sucre as a World Heritage Site for the city's impressive colonial architecture.

Landscape

Sucre is located in the south-central region of Bolivia and is one of the smaller cities in the land-locked nation. Sucre sits at an altitude of 2,800 meters (9,200 feet) in a highland valley of the Andes Mountains near the base of the twin hills of Churuquella and Sika Sika. It is located between the Cordillero Central and the Cordillera Oriental mountain ranges of central Bolivia. Sucre is the eighth-highest city in the world.

Due to the city's elevation, the climate is mild. Average monthly temperatures range from 12.2 degrees Celsius (54 degrees Fahrenheit) in July to 17.3 degrees Celsius (63.1 degrees Fahrenheit) in November. Sucre receives most of its annual rainfall between December and March, the summer season in this equatorial city. Winter lasts from May to September, and is a relatively dry time of the year. The region's mild climate made it especially attractive to the Spanish conquistadores who settled there.

Within the city of Sucre, the narrow, winding streets are known for their white-washed, colonial buildings from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

People

Compared to other key cities of Bolivia, Sucre has a relatively small population, with approximately 278,000 metro residents in 2018. La Paz, the legislative and executive capital, is a major metropolitan city with a population of more than 1.9 million and Santa Cruz has a population of over 1.7 million. Bolivia has a population of 12,054,379 inhabitants as of 2022.

The population of Sucre is Quechua, mestizo (a mix of white and Amerindian), Aymara, and white of European descent. There are more than three dozen official languages of Bolivia, including Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, and Guarani. The majority of the population identifies as Roman Catholic.

The local food of Sucre is traditionally meat, rice, and potatoes. It is usually spicier than in low lying regions of Bolivia due to the chili pepper crops of the Andes Mountains. One of the most popular dishes is empanada salteña, a type of meat pie.

In the small villages around the outskirts of Sucre, the indigenous population still wears traditional dress and maintains traditional customs. Hats are particularly significant in this region, with different types of hats bearing different meanings, such as a woman's marital status. With the Spanish colonial influence in Sucre, many of the costumes of the region blend the local Incan heritage with the clothing of the Spanish conquistadores. These more elaborate costumes are worn throughout the year at various festivals in Sucre.

Economy

As the constitutional capital of Bolivia, Sucre is home to the nation's Supreme Court. The city is also the capital of the Chuquisaca department of Bolivia, one of the country's nine departmental divisions. As of 2019, about 40 percent of the department's residents were living in poverty.

Significant industries in Sucre include mining, mineral extraction, food and beverages, handicrafts, clothing, and tourism. Most residents work in services, commerce, transportation, construction, or manufacturing. Sucre functions as an agricultural center for the barren areas of the high Andean plateau known as the Altiplano, supplying the mining communities throughout the region with much-needed resources. As of the 2013 agricultural census, the latest available, the area produced sweet potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, cole vegetables, corn, wheat, peas, barley, alfalfa, fruit, poultry, and sheep. Sucre is also known as one of the best chocolate producers in the country. The city is also home to an oil refinery and a cement plant.

Sucre contributes to the tourism industry of Bolivia with its rich colonial history, architectural attractions, and nearby dinosaur park. Sucre is also known for the exquisite handmade tapestries sold throughout the city and at the popular nearby Tarabucco market.

Historically, Sucre and neighboring Potosi were mining and smelting communities, built around Bolivia's significant silver deposits. From 1545 to 1575, roughly US$1.5 billion worth of silver was sent to Charles V, emperor of Spain. Over time, the mines were essentially depleted, and none of that wealth benefited Bolivia.

Landmarks

The Casa de la Liberta, a house on the main plaza of Sucre, is one of Bolivia's most significant landmarks. The country's declaration of independence was signed there on August 6, 1825, and is on display along with other military documents and portraits of the nation's presidents. The National Archive of Bolivia is also located in Sucre. It contains documents dating back to the sixteenth century, including those of the Audiencia de Charcas.

The University of San Francisco Xavier in Sucre is significant both as a university and as the location of three of Bolivia's preeminent museums. The Anthropology Museum was established in 1943 and includes exhibits related to the folklore, archaeology, ethnography, and pottery of Bolivia. The Museum of Viceregal Art was founded in 1939; its exhibits include artifacts and pictoral works from colonial times. The Modern Art Gallery is the country's premiere modern art museum.

Sucre is also home to number of notable churches and cathedrals. Construction began on the Metropolitan Cathedral in 1559, but the building was not complete until 1712. This long period of construction contributed to the building's mixture of Renaissance and baroque architectural styles. The Chapel of the Virgin of Guadalupe was built in 1617 and sits beside the Metropolitan Cathedral. The chapel includes an image of Guadalupe painted by Diego de Ocana in 1601, and is so venerated by visitors that it is completely covered in offerings.

The Museum de la Recoleta is located in a convent established by the Franciscan Order between 1600 and 1613. Over the centuries, the convent has also served as a barracks and a prison. The museum displays anonymous paintings from the sixteenth to twentieth centuries.

Just outside the city is the Cal Orck'o limestone quarry, remarkable for its preserved dinosaur tracks. One of the most unique attractions in Bolivia, these fossilized footprints were preserved in the rock layers within just two weeks of their formation in the sediment.

History

Sucre has also been called the "City of the Four Names." Its first official name was La Plata, or Villa de Plata, given by the Spanish conquistadores who displaced the Inca and settled the region in the early years of the sixteenth century.

In 1559, La Plata became the seat of the Audiencia de Charcas, the foundation established by Spanish king Felipe II for governing the eastern region of South America. The Audiencia ruled over a region that spans present-day Paraguay, southeastern Peru, northern Chile, Argentina, and most of Bolivia. With the Audiencia de Charcas ruling from La Plata, the city eventually became known simply as Charcas.

In 1634, the University of San Francisco Xavier was established in Charcas, and the city became a center for education, culture, and religious and political ideas. During this century, the city was renamed Chuquisaca, a contraction of its traditional Indian name, Choquechaca.

At the turn of the nineteenth century, political changes throughout Europe and North America transformed Bolivia. While the Napoleonic Wars were weakening Spain's power, the French Revolution and the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence inspired discussions of independence in Bolivia.

In 1809, Bolivia declared its own independence, and thus began the sixteen-year Bolivian War of Independence from Spain. The San Francisco Convent gained historical significance at this time for the ringing of the liberty bell, which was rung at the start of Bolivia's struggle for independence.

In August 1825, the new republic of Bolivia, named after political liberator Simón Bolivar, was established. Chuquisaca was renamed Sucre in honor of freedom fighter Antonio José de Sucre, who had fought to liberate the nation. Sucre then served as the capital of the new republic. In 1898, the administrative and legislative branches of government moved to La Paz and the two cities have continued to share capital status to the present day.

Since the nation's independence, Bolivia has survived more than 200 coups and countercoups. In 1982, the nation was established as a civil democracy but has continued to struggle with issues of poverty, social unrest, and the production and sale of illegal drugs.

During the country's constitutional assembly of 2006 to 2008, Sucre launched an unsuccessful campaign to restore the city as the sole capital of the country. Residents were particularly concerned about the power of left-wing president Juan Evo Morales Ayma, the first indigenous president of the country. Protests on both sides took place in the city.

In 2016 a tour guide discovered a 1.3-yard-wide footprint belonging to a carnivorous dinosaur outside Sucre. The 80-million-year-old footprint was then the largest ever found.

Bibliography

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"Historic City of Sucre." UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2024, whc.unesco.org/en/list/566/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2024.

Romero, Simon. "What’s Bolivia’s Capital? The Answer Is Disputed Here." The New York Times, 14 Sept. 2007, p. A4.

Sucre Life. Sucre Life, 2024, www.sucrelife.com/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2024