Sucre, Bolivia

Castillo del Principado de La Glorieta, Sucre
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Castillo_del_Principado_de_La_Glorieta_Sucre_Bolivia.jpg
Author: Jerry Daykin


Sucre is a city in Chuquisaca department, Bolivia. Located 2,750 m (9,022 ft) above sea level, it has a population of 225,000 people (2011 estimate).

Sucre was founded in 1538 and was originally called Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo. At that time, it was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. The old city was designed in a grid pattern in keeping with cities in the Andalusian region of Spain. Sucre became the seat of the Roman Catholic church in Bolivia, and has a high proportion of monks and nuns within its population.

Today the historic center of Sucre holds many houses and buildings from the colonial era. These have been well preserved, enabling the city to be recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1991, under the title of Historic City of Sucre.

The city of Sucre was originally called La Plata. The site was a Charcas Indian settlement. The Indians called it Chuquisaca. The Spaniards designed a city with checkerboard-patterned streets, similar to all the cities established by the Spanished in the Americas in the 16th century.

Proximity to the silver mining town of Potosi also greatly benefited La Plata. Major cultural institutions established here include the Universidad de San Francisco Javier in 1624, the Real Academia Carolina, a law institution, and the San Isabel de Hungria Seminario in 1595. The Charcas Audiencia, which was the early incarnation of the Supreme Court, was also established in Sucre.

Basilica de San Francisco, Sucre, Bolivia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sucre_downtown.jpg
Author: Vico ricab


The buildings within the historic centre of Sucre were built in the 18th century, and they share similar architectural style to those in Potosi. The structures from the late 18th to the early 19th centuries are adaptations of the Neoclassical style of metropolitan Spain at that time.

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: S 19 02 35 W 65 15 33
Inscription Year: 1991
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: IV Due partly to the UNESCO recognition, Sucre has become a popular tourist destination. Perhaps the most colorful time to visit Sucre is in March, when the city nstages the Pujllay Festival. This is a time when tourists get to see the natives dressed in their indigenous costumes, as they come out to celebrate the festival.

Visiting Sucre

There aren't any flights to Sucre since the national carrier went out of operation. So the most practical way to reach Sucre presently is to take a bus. There are buses from all major cities in Bolivia.

Vegetables at the market in Sucre
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercado_en_la_ciudad_de_Sucre_Bolivia.jpg
Author: Cristian Ordenes

Sights & Attractions in Sucre

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