| Registration Classification | cultural heritage |
| Registration Criteria | (4) |
| Year of registration | 1995 |
Colonia del Sacramento, in southwestern Uruguay, was founded by the Portuguese in 1680.On the other side of the river is Buenos Aires, founded by the Spanish, and it was a strategically important place. The city was ruled by Spain and Portugal, respectively, and the colonial townscape still remains today.
Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why the historic city of Colonia del Sacramento is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner. Read this and you will definitely learn more about Colonia del Sacramento!
What is the historic district of Colonia del Sacramento?
Colonia del Sacramento is a port city on the La Plata River in southwestern Uruguay. It was located on the border of Argentina, which was then controlled by Spain, and Brazil, which was controlled by Portugal.
It was founded by the Portuguese in 1680, and for the next 100 years Spain and Portugal fought over the site. After repeated destruction and restoration, by the late 19th century, the city had become a city with stone walls, roofs, grids, and other traditional styles of each country.
The Old Town still retains many colonial-style buildings that are remnants of the colonial period. In particular, the old town has few two-story houses and consists almost exclusively of one-story houses. This is still restricted today in order to preserve the landscape.Therefore, the only buildings in the old town that are taller than two stories are the lighthouse and the Basílica del Santísimo Sacramento.
For what reason is the historic town of Colonia del Sacramento a World Heritage Site?
Colonia del Sacramento was recognized for
Registration Criteria (iv)
The old town was founded at the end of the 17th century, which means that it still retains much of its colonial architecture and plots.
World Heritage Mania Conclusions and Comments
Many colonial cities built by European countries remain in Latin America, but this place is valued for its old town, which retains much of its original appearance. The landscape is also well preserved, especially since the city is restricted from building tall buildings.
Uruguay, a remote region in South America, is famous for being a welfare state that once prospered through the export of wool and beef and was called the “Switzerland of South America”. However, things did not go so well…and then came the “poorest president” in the world.Today, the country is famous as “the happiest country in South America” and is enjoying the most advanced way of life in South America, including gender-free, smart cityization, and so on.
*The contents of this page are based on the research conducted by a World Heritage enthusiast.As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.
