SUCRE

The city of Sucre, Constitutional Capital of Bolivia, is located in the national urban central axis (La Paz Cochabamba - Santa Cruz) and at a distance of 600 km. From the city of La Paz, seat of the National government. Sucre has been declared by UNESCO as a cultural heritage of humanity, for being a living museum of what was the Spanish colonial aristocratic life.

 

ATTRACTIONS OF THE CITY

HOUSE OF FREEDOM

It is the most important National Historic Monument, since in its interior the Declaration of the Independence of Bolivia was signed. It conserves inside the furniture and decoration of the colonial period, as well as the historical documents of the Independence.

 

THE METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL

It is the largest religious monument of Charcas, originally Renaissance style and later enriched by the baroque and mestizo baroque style. Highlight inside, the High Altar, the Chapter Room that houses a collection of portraits of authorities, the Atrium of the temple surrounded by a stone balustrade edged, the clock located at the top of the tower.

 

MUSEUM OF THE RECOLETA

It has on display valuable colonial and republican paintings, sculptures, goldsmith work, collections of numismatics and archeology. The visit to the museum also offers a pleasant walk through the colonial courtyards of the convent.

 

GENERAL CEMETERY

It houses ornamental mausoleums, sumptuous tombs and populated gardens whose constructive harmony predominates in the different areas. In him are buried characters of the arts, sciences, and regional, national and Latin American history.

 

TEXTILE MUSEUM ETNOGRÁFICOS ASUR

Located in a beautiful colonial house of Sucre, its main objective is to revitalize the traditional textiles of the areas of Jalq'a and Tarabuco. It has twelve exhibition halls and a gallery where the weavers show off their skills.

 

UNIVERSITY MUSEUM CHARCAS

Founded as part of the Fine Arts athenaeum, with works of colonial art, beautiful paintings by Melchor Pérez de Holguín, Fourchault and Villarroel. It has sections dedicated to Anthropology, Ethnography and Folklore. Likewise, the Modern Art Gallery and the Dr. Alfredo Gutiérrez Valenzuela Museum with works of art from the 19th century, Louis XV style furniture, Louis XVI, bronze sculptures, marble, glass, etc.

 

CATHEDRAL MUSEUM

Cathedral Museum It has a large number of religious and liturgical objects, such as the beautiful golden monstrances, chalices, pectorals, incense burners, stoles, paintings by Peruvian and European painters, valuable jewels destined to worship with inlaid precious stones such as lapis lazuli crosses.

 

SURROUNDINGS

FACES OF DINOSAURS OF CAL ORK'O

It concentrates the most extensive trek of footprints found in an area of ​​30,000 m. through which are observed more than 5,000 impressions corresponding to a wide variety of dinosaurs that lived at the end of the Cretaceous period.

 

BRIDGE PENDANT MARISCAL ANTONIO JOSE DE SUCRE

It is one of the most interesting engineering works of the department. For decades I link the cities of Potosí and Sucre to each end are two huge towers built with calicanto (stone, brick with lime mortar, plaster and sand) of Gothic characteristics.

 

7 WATERFALLS

Beautiful passage located in the Oropeza province, gets its name from the seven crystal clear falls located in a place of singular beauty and temperate climate, surrounded by streams.

 

YOTALA

It is a small town of urban structure and colonial design, among its natural sites we find the Quebrada del Churo of rock formations and batetons that resemble small pools with crystal clear waterfalls.

 

POTOLO

It is a large open space between mountains of colors that nuance the beauty of the place. It houses the native community of the Jalq'a ethic group, highlighting its textiles with abstract figures and complex shapes of different sizes.

 

CHAPLA DE CHATAQUILA

Constructed of stone in the summit of the mountainous area of ​​the same name, in the middle of a rocky conformation, harmonizing with the landscaped set. Its antecedents go back to an ancient prehispanic shrine (waca), even now it is possible to observe the original idol that underwent the cultural and natural modifications that the course of the years and popular cult has given it.

 

PREHISPANIC PATH

Route of pre-Hispanic origin. Retaining walls, bleachers, fords and enlosetado cover the six km. That it is possible to travel in a typical landscape of the mountainous area. The vegetation is characterized by xerophytic plants, among which the Quewiña (polilepis incana) stands out.

 

SUPAY HUASY

Set of cave paintings that correspond to the period in which the ceramics began to be painted in the Bolivian valleys. They are three panels. One of them in a short natural cave. They represent ideographic characters, that is to say that a set of representations intend to transmit an idea or concept, the bases of the writing. The color used was the reddish brown that comes from the ferric oxide (Replicas in the University Museums "Charcas")

 

INCAMACHAY

It is a set of cave paintings that represent anthropomorphic, zoomorphic and geometric motifs. They have been painted in white and red with several combinations. The archaeological investigations attribute to them preliminarily an age near the 2,500 years and a possible cultural correspondence Sauces. They are located in a natural rocky eaves. The trekking to reach this site allows to observe from the summit of the Chataquila mountain range a wide and wonderful landscape. In certain seasons it is possible to find in flower a plant of the family of the "Puya Raimondi"

 

PUMAMACHAY

Pictographs made in black. The archaeological investigations establish that they correspond to the Huruquilla culture, attributing a maximum age of 1,500 years. They are located in a natural cave that is located in a deep ravine difficult to access. They represent a set of anthropomorphic and geometric motifs. The magic-religious motivation of the authors is undoubted.

 

CRÁTER DE MARAGUA

It is a curious geological formation that covers approximately 8km2. Forming a kind of shell, its ends have orographic scales that can be observed from satellite. On its surface it is possible to find obsidian fragments.

In the center is the current cemetery that was used since pre-Hispanic times, its waters drain forming a jump of 40 m. The small cavern with stalactites and stalagmites is remarkable.

Its inhabitants say that they live in the navel of the world and are divided into two communities: those of Maragua and Irupampa, both enjoy a tradition in the elaboration of textile crafts. The dinosaur footprints of the place are worth seeing. CANDELARIA

Population at 26 kms. From the town of Tarabuco and 86 kms. From the city of Sucre, where the best weavers of the Tarabuco Culture live, whose textile is characterized by its symmetry, shapes and color degradation. In the area there are also paleontological deposits.

 

THE GLORIETA CASTLE

The castle DE LA Glorieta, declared a National Monument in 1970, was the home of Don Francisco Argandoña Revilla illustrious miner and chuquisaqueño banker, Minister Plenipotentiary of Bolivia in France, married to Mrs. Clotilde Urioste, who were awarded the honorary title of "Princes of the Roundabout "by Pope Leo XIII on December 28, 1899.

This beautiful residence of the Glorieta that rises in the valleys of Saucini, Yotala Canton of the Oropeza Province of the Department of Chuquisaca, located 5 kilometers from the city of Sucre, Capital of the Republic; its construction commissioned by the Argandoña-Urioste family to the outstanding architect Italo Argentino Antonio Camponovo, who has already built the residence of President Aniceto Arce in La Florida and is the author of important public buildings in La Paz as the other Legislative Palace. The construction of the Roundabout was started in 1893 and completed at the end of 1897. Although the raw material was national, the other ornamental and luxury materials were brought from France and Italy; artisans and gardeners such as Tonnelly and Martinelly were hired and brought from Europe to beautify the Castle.

This sumptuous building testifies to the splendor of the time, today is in a state of disrepair, in its times of prosperity it had for example the famous Decuville train, the Monticulo del Parque where was the temple of Vesta (Roman deity of fire and home) , the lagoon of the swans, the avenue of the cypresses, the avenue of sighs, the lake of love, the fountain and the temple of Venus and other wonders of the park and gardens that witnessed a glorious past of the only principality Bolivian.

In its halls the most important and lofty social gatherings of the time were held, with the assistance of presidents of the Republic and the diplomatic corps; paintings, sculptures, tapestries, bronzes, marbles, crystals and other costly artifacts were all brought from Europe to decorate the Castle Marcos de Cedro carved, beveled mirrors on golds and furniture style were part of the magnificence of the Argillaceae Argos Urioste.

Its unique architecture corresponds to an "eclectic" style, that is, it has various elements, such as neo-Gothic towers, Moorish windows from Mudejar art and neoclassical pillars that stand out in the landscape of the place forming a whole; the mansion also has a chapel where you can see a mosaic cross surely brought from Cádiz, there was also a library well stocked. The interesting stables were later built around 1910.

The once splendid "Castle", today only retains its architectural part turned into a museum, since all its art collections and furniture in general, were sold by the descendants of the "Princes of the Glorieta". The mansion was bought in 1966 by the Ministry of Defense for the Army Military High School; Then, in 1987, the H. National Congress declared its transfer to CORDECH thanks to the management of Doña Julia Elena Fortun.

This magnificent architectural work of the republican period, cultural heritage of Bolivia, is waiting for its value and is still a tourist attraction for visitors to the city of Sucre.

 

TARABUCO

About 65 kilometers from the city of Sucre, is one of the most interesting towns of the Department of Chuquisaca for its Folklore and clothing, because there because of its wealth of craftsmanship especially in the millennial art of textiles or its remarkable technology from ethnic groups Yampara culture that flourished in the region in pre-Columbian times, is one of the most typical and visited artisan markets of the Andes; There is also the "Phujllay" festival (in Quechua joy and play) also called "Carnival of Trabuco" that takes place on the third Sunday of March and is one of the most important indigenous festivities in Bolivia, where the magnificence of their costumes, their dances and their native music is enhanced in its maximum splendor for the delight of the visitors.

The "Phujllay de Tarabuco" manifests conceptually and symbolically, the virility of the agricultural communities formerly warriors, through interesting artistic manifestations and their spectacular choreographic display; It is said that this spectacular vernacular originates in the epic of March 12, 1816, starring the Yamparas indigenous warriors. Those who confronted and defeated the Spanish royalist army of the "greens" (called themselves by the color of their uniforms) that doubled in number and weapons. The satire of the conquistadors is revealed in several details of the clothing worn by dancers on this occasion, such as the large spurs and the montera that imitates the Spanish helmet.

The term Phujllay in Quechua language means later and the festivity begins with the arrival of different ayllus of those with units near the town of Tarabuco and with the celebration of the holy mass in Quechua, continuing with the magnificent folk entrance in charge of numerous groups of dancers that dance towards the square where the "Ñusta" or indigenous princess of the festival is chosen and a huge altar is built based on various products and fruits of the land, in addition to loaves called "pucara", which has a strong and ancestral symbolic meaning of payment to the earth or Pachamama.

The impressive dance was finished to the sound of native instruments and the singing of men and women, after drinking chicha and tasting typical local dishes, the participants mounted their horses and shouting "Vida el Phujllay" they went to the countryside to offer Pachamama with different rituals and food, always accompanied by music and dance. This festival of profound religious magical significance celebrated every year by the peasant communities of the Department of Chuquisaca, impresses the visitor above all foreigners, for its strength, color, art and ancestral beauty of these Yamparas ethnic peoples of rich tradition and tradition that maintain even the currently and constitute a heritage and tourist attraction.