The city of Colonia del Sacramento

Colonia del Sacramento, better known in the area simply as Colonia, is the capital of the department of Colonia, in Uruguay. It is located only a few kilometres south east from the confluence of two important rivers: Río Uruguay and the River Plate.

Given that Colonia is located very near to Buenos Aires, these cities have developed close relations. Travellers arrive daily in Colonia, including people from Buenos Aires who own properties here. A couple of years ago a project was set up to build a bridge that would link these two cities.

Monuments and Tourist Attractions

Historic Center

The historic centre of Colonia was declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Since this area has been very well preserved, exterior shooting for period films took place here, such as "De eso no se habla" (1993) starring María Luisa Bemberg with Marcello Mastroianni as the main lead.

Real de San Carlos

This place, known as Real de San Carlos, is located in the city surroundings, in the area where the Spanish forces laid siege to the Portuguese fortified town in 1761. This place was named after King Charles III of Spain. There is a small chapel that pays tribute to San Benito de Palermo, the first black saint of the Catholic Church. Nowadays, it is a residential area where a large number of weekend houses can be found and the quiet beaches along the River Plate are the major attraction.

It was Argentine businessman Nicolás Mihanovich who encouraged the development of the Real de San Carlos, a tourist resort that nowadays is in very bad conditions. Such resort included a casino and hotel, a bullring, a pelota court (the greatest one in South America) and its own power station.

Main localities within the province

Colonia del Sacramento is the main port of the province and one of the most important ones in the River Plate estuary, followed by Juan Lacaze (industrial port), Carmelo (a shipyard along the stream named Arroyo Las Vacas), Nueva Helvecia, Colonia Suiza, Rosario, Nueva Palmira and Colonia Valdense.

Culture

The same as in Canelones and Montevideo, a large part of the province population has Italian and Swiss origin. Nevertheless, the total population of Colonia is quite small, especially in comparison with such provinces. Such sparse population has led to the development of small communities with their own particular lifestyle. These are not separatist supporters but small towns that have adapted in an original way to Uruguayan way of life and Uruguayan customs, while preserving their own ones.

Towards the end of the XIX century and beginnings of the XX century, when European economic stability was seriously threatened, many families decided to move to America, on looking for better prospects. Colonia, by being a port, received a considerable number of immigrants from a variety of places such as Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Spain and a few from France and Germany as well.

As time went by, the foreign influence became quite evident in this place: new populations were settled and great traditions were established. In fact, nowadays, nobody would talk about Colonia without making reference to its Swiss cheeses, pizzas, homemade marmalades, the typical gastronomy of the area based on fish, Italian sauces such as Caruso, pasta, and its vine growing industry.

Climate

Colonia has a humid and mild climate and the annual average temperature ranges between 17ºC and 18ºC. The annual average rainfall is about 1000 mm. These ideal climate conditions in addition to the soil quality lead to an intense activity in the province's grasslands, livestock farming mainly.