The Venezuela Province (or Province of Caracas ) was a province of the Spanish Empire (from 1527), of Gran Colombia (1824–1830) and later of Venezuela (from 1830), apart from an interlude (1528–1546) when it was contracted as a concession by the King of Spain to the German Welser banking family, as Klein-Venedig .
78-480: It has its origins with the 1527 foundation of Santa Ana de Coro by Juan de Ampíes , the province's first governor. Coro was the province's capital until 1546, followed by El Tocuyo (1546-1577). The capital was moved to Caracas in 1577 by Juan de Pimentel . At one time Calabozo (founded 1724) was its capital. Early on, the province was defined in relation to the Venezuelan coastline (with Margarita Province to
156-467: A hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen : BSh ) despite receiving an average of approximately 452 millimetres or 18 inches of rainfall per year over 50.1 precipitation days. Humidity remains at a similar level year-round. The highest rainfall occurs between October and December, while March is the driest month. The average temperature is 28.9 °C (84.0 °F), with minimum temperatures of 23 °C (73 °F) and maximum 36 °C (96.8 °F). The city
234-649: A bulwark of the Spanish Empire to land on its coasts the troops that end up destroying the First Republic of Venezuela . In 1821, finally the Coro Province incorporates to the process of independence, with the capture of the city by the troops led by the heroine Josefa Camejo and a group of patriots who came a long time plotting. By the time the General Rafael Urdaneta invades from Maracaibo commanding
312-486: A state composed of regional departments . Venezuela became the Department of Venezuela through this territorial reorganization. The rising animosity between Venezuelans and New Granadians , due to irreconcilable differences in opinion as to how the new republic ought to be governed, led to the inevitable collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830. After 1830, the provinces within the old Captaincy General of Venezuela constituted
390-802: A variety of museums with a broad representation of Catholic iconography or national historical value, so it is called "la ciudad museo". For these reasons it is declared, along with its nearby port of La Vela de Coro , a World Heritage Site on December 9, 1993, by Unesco in meeting held in the Colombian city of Cartagena de Indias . Since 2005 Coro has been officially listed as an "endangered" World Heritage Site (see List of World Heritage in Danger ). Climate change in Venezuela, in particular heavy rains, have caused significant damage to its rich architecture. Coro's traditional buildings were built with techniques based on
468-573: A wooden balcony on the second floor. It was built in the 18th century as residence to the Colina Peredo family and takes its name from the family that occupied it since the mid-19th century and which was donated to the nation. It houses the People Earthenware Museum . Also known as Balcón de los Senior . It served as military headquarters of the patriot forces during the War of Independence . It
546-472: A wrought iron structure that was imported from Andalusia . This religious complex consists in a church with three naves and an annex building that was a Franciscan monastery, which now houses the Diocesan Museum "Lucas Guillermo Castillo " . It begins to build in the 16th century and was destroyed by pirates in 1620. Its neo-Gothic tower is of more recent construction stands over 50 meters, which makes it
624-662: Is 30 kilometres (19 mi) to the south, with a number of attractions including birdwatching and nature observation; Cerro Galicia, the highest hill in the district; the Hueque resurgence cave and associated waterfalls; the Acarite river cave; and the 305 metres (1,001 ft) deep Haitón del Guarataro , the deepest limestone cave in Venezuela. The economy in Coro is highly dependent on state government expenditure. Retail commercial activity, civil construction, tourism and professional services are
702-487: Is also the capital of Miranda municipality, to which are added the municipal agencies. The governor and the municipality is currently led by supporters of President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías in a Venezuela's political map is also mostly covered by governors and mayors Chávez trend (MVR). However, in the December 2007 elections, the referendum on constitutional reform proposal, this party and political groups who accompanied him at
780-428: Is one of the first colonial cities, was founded in 1527, and its colonial architecture prevails until today. Over 600 buildings have been appointed in Coro as heritage. The historic centre remains characteristics typical of a city of the 18th and 19th centuries, with cobbled stone streets and colonial buildings. This is an important colonial city resort and the largest complex of colonial temples in Venezuela. It contains
858-614: Is provided by the Royal Decree [ Real Cédula ] of February 15 of this year on the addition of the City of Trujillo and its jurisdiction to the Government of Maracaibo; and the creation for the present of a separate Command in the Province of Barinas. And to avoid the harm that would arise for the inhabitants of said Provinces of Maracaibo, Cumamá, Guayana, Margarita and Island of Trinidad, comprising
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#1732851240575936-607: Is said that the Liberator Simón Bolívar stayed there on December 23, 1826, and from the balcony greeted the patriots who gathered outside to greet him. It houses the Coro Art Museum . It is said that St. Clement's Cross marks the spot where the first mass officiate at South America . It is sheltered by a pavilion erected ordered the Marshal Juan Crisóstomo Falcón during his presidential tenure. It
1014-476: Is sunny, averaging over 3100 hours of sunshine a year, with January being the sunniest month. It is characterized by strong winds that can register speeds of 35 kilometres per hour (22 mph; 19 kn). On 29 April 2015, Coro recorded a temperature of 43.6 °C (110.5 °F), which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Venezuela. Coro has never recorded a temperature below 18.9 °C (66.0 °F). Because of its status as capital of
1092-506: Is the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Carrizal, which according to legend, was rescued in 1723, by Native Americans of the region, of the corian beaches when a vessel sank near the coast of the people. The Natives were shocked to see the perfection of its forms. It is one of Venezuela's oldest houses, its construction dates from the 17th century. Its name comes from the sun located above its door, symbolizing God. Which would be located outside
1170-588: Is the oldest Jewish cemetery in South America. Its origin goes back to the 19th century when the Sephardic Jewish colony of the Dutch island of Curaçao began migrating to the city in 1824. This cemetery is beginning to build in 1832 by Joseph Curiel , who buy land in the vicinity of the town to bury his baby daughter Hana. On this are wonderful mausoleums that reflect the spirit of ancient times. In this sanctuary
1248-603: The Audiencia of Santo Domingo (and thus the Viceroyalty of New Spain ) and then the Viceroyalty of New Granada . It established a unified government in political ( governorship ), military ( captaincy general ), fiscal ( intendancy ), ecclesiastical ( archdiocese ) and judicial ( audiencia ) affairs. Its creation was part of the Bourbon Reforms and laid the groundwork for the future nation of Venezuela, in particular by orienting
1326-525: The Bogotá Audiencia [ es ] ; the other three provinces by the one in Santo Domingo . The following year a joint governorship- captaincy general with powers over military and administrative matters was established for the same provinces. Regional governors and military commanders were subordinated to the governor-captain general of Caracas. To maintain uniformity in judicial matters, in 1777
1404-678: The Paraguaná Peninsula and the changes in Venezuela following the passage of a rural to an urban and oil country. Since the early 50s Coro was declared a National Heritage. Coro is located at north of the Coro region , transition between the Venezuelan Coastal Range and the Cordillera de Mérida . Located on a coastal plain of xerophyte vegetation (19 msn) covering the entire western Falcón state and reaches its narrowest point just in
1482-754: The Province of Trinidad was lost to the British in 1797. New Spain American Confederation of Venezuela Caudillismo Andean Hegemony Democratic period Bolivarian Revolution The Royal Decree establishing the Captaincy General: The King.—Inasmuch and keeping in mind what has been reported to me by the current Viceroy, Governor and Captain General of the New Kingdom of Granada and
1560-605: The lieutenant governor of Coro Don Francisco Campuzano Polanco as his residence and bought on 1847 by Mr. David Abraham Senior, a sephardic trader from Curaçao who built there the Coro Synagogue , one of the oldest synagogues in Latin America . Currently, the synagogue is part of the Alberto Henríquez Museum of Art , which belongs to Universidad Francisco de Miranda . Great two-story building and topped with
1638-708: The province of Maracaibo towards the province of Caracas . In 1494, despite the presence of indigenous peoples in the Americas, Pope Alexander VI issued a papal decree with the Treaty of Tordesillas that unilaterally granted the Crown of Castile with full dominion over the majority of what is now regarded as South America . Following years of colonization by colonial Spain , the Bourbon dynasty took steps towards reorganizing their overseas possessions and Venezuela, in particular. When
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#17328512405751716-594: The restoration of the Republic and attempts by Pablo Morillo to suspend the Audiencia, both the Audiencia and the Captaincy General continued to function until 1821. Independence for Venezuela was consolidated in 1821 as part of Gran Colombia . The Congress of Cucuta looked to the territorial area of former Viceroyalty of New Granada (during the period of 1739–1777) as the basis for its territorial claims, and created
1794-609: The tricolor , eventually adopted as the flag of Gran Colombia . It is now the basis for the official flag of three American republics, Colombia , Venezuela and Ecuador . The port of La Vela de Coro was where it was raised for the first time in Venezuela. During the beginning of the Venezuelan War of Independence , Coro, Maracaibo and Guiana did not comply with the provisions of the Junta Suprema de Caracas on April 19, 1810, remaining loyal to Spanish rule. Subsequently, formed
1872-407: The Captaincy General of Venezuela, in the same manner that they are in regards to the administration of my Royal Treasury to the new Intendancy established in said Province and city of Caracas, its capital. In the same manner I have resolved to separate in judicial matters from the Audiencia of Santa Fe, and to add to the old one of Santo Domingo, the two mentioned Provinces of Maracaibo and Guayana, in
1950-654: The Captaincy General. The provinces of Maracaibo and Guayana, along with the city of Coro, rejected the republic, and after a year of war against the royalists, this First Republic collapsed. The provinces that had created the Venezuelan Republic were reconquered by Frigate Captain Domingo de Monteverde , who usurped power from the appointed Captain General Fernando Miyares . Because of this the Cortes of Cádiz erected
2028-510: The Cedula de Poblacion of 1783 opening the island of Trinidad to immigration from, primarily, the French Caribbean islands. Negotiated by Phillipe Rose Roume de Saint-Laurant , the edict consists of 28 articles governing various forms of land grants to encourage population growth, the naturalization of inhabitants, taxation, the arming of slave owners, the duty and function of a militia to protect
2106-541: The Cortes. With Ferdinand VII's return, Venezuela was reunited in one captaincy general. In 1812 a new Audiencia appointed by the Cortes was able to return in Caracas. Under the leadership of Dominican-born Regent José Francisco Heredia (father of Cuban poet José María Heredia y Heredia ), the Audiencia put up fierce resistance to Monteverde's attempts to rule the Captaincy General under martial law . After an interruption due to
2184-585: The Grancolombian army, and the city had been released a few days earlier for the Coro army commanded by Camejo. The War of Independence and later the civil wars of the 19th century (including the Federal War that began in Coro) leaving the city deserted and destroyed its field, which plunged her into a period of decline that would recover the half- well into the 20th century with the construction of oil refineries in
2262-589: The National Assembly Coro and the rest of the municipalities of Falcón and the Miranda municipality formed the circuit number 3 of the state. For the ruling party PSUV 's bid was for retired Gen. Melvin Lopez Hidalgo, while the table of democratic unity MUD was for Gregorio Graterol, former candidate for governor of the state. With more than 52% of the vote, the opposition candidate for MUD Gregorio Graterol wins
2340-478: The New Granadan Viceroyalty was reestablished in 1739, the governor-captain general of Caracas was given military jurisdiction over the provinces of Maracaibo , Cumaná, Guayana, Trinidad and Margarita. The 18th century also marked a period of marked economic growth for Venezuela. Cocoa plantations were established along the littoral valleys, which resulted in large importations of slaves . The growth of
2418-588: The Provinces of Maracaibo and Guayana observe the provisions that in the future my Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo issues, accepting the appeals that are lodged before it according to and in the manner they have been, or should have been done, before the Audiencia of Santa Fe; such is my will. Given in San Ildefonso on the eighth of September of 1777.—I the King. As representative of the King of Spain, José de Gálvez signed
Venezuela Province - Misplaced Pages Continue
2496-649: The Spanish Empire in America . The city is in its early days a "beachhead" or outpost of the Spanish during the conquest and colonization in the western and central Venezuela. From them left the expeditions of exploration and founding of new towns. Santa Ana de Coro lost the political capital of the Venezuela Province (also known as the Coro Province in official documents of the time) in 1578 to Caracas , motivated by repeated invasions of pirates ( Preston Somers Expedition
2574-611: The Spanish Empire. It is established at the south of the Paraguaná Peninsula in a coastal plain, flanked by the Médanos de Coro National Park to the north and the Sierra de Coro to the south, at a few kilometers from its port ( La Vela de Coro ) in the Caribbean Sea at a point equidistant between the Ensenada de La Vela and Golfete de Coro. It has a wide cultural tradition that comes from being
2652-406: The city for a long period. It is located west of the historic centre and was built in 1741, for a lady of the Spanish elite, which, according to a promise, she vowed to build a temple on behalf of Saint Nicholas of Bari. It is the monument to Marshal Juan Crisóstomo Falcón , a Corian leader during the Federal War and was also President of the Republic from 1863 to 1868. Traveling one hour north,
2730-585: The city of Barcelona, Anzoátegui ). From Coro emerged multiple expeditions to the Venezuelan and Colombian Llanos , the Andes and the Orinoco River in search of El Dorado , which allowed the conquerors to explore these vast territories. The government of the Welsers ends in 1545 for breach of contract and conflict of interests between them and the Spanish conquistadors who explored the territory from other focal points of
2808-499: The city to the port of La Vela de Coro. The colonial town, a World Heritage Site, preserves a typical urban landscape of the 18th and 19th centuries, with its cobbled streets and hundreds of historic and traditional buildings. Some architectures reflects a Mudéjar style, while others reflect the cultural influence of the Netherlands through the colony of Curaçao. In the city there are interesting Catholic and secular buildings, that were
2886-556: The city, closing a few miles east of Coro by foothills of the Sierra de Falcón . To the north lies the Médanos Isthmus , named for it found in a formation of dunes or sand fields that have been formed by persistent trade winds and ocean currents. The isthmus connects the Paraguaná Peninsula with the mainland. at south of the city are the foothills of the Sierra de Falcón. Due to its extremely high potential evapotranspiration , Coro has
2964-677: The cocoa-exporting economy was created by the Real Compañía Guipuzcoana de Caracas , which was granted a full monopoly over exports and imports in 1728. The company's second largest export was tobacco . It also promoted the exploration and settlement of Venezuela's frontiers, most famously under the Expedition of the Limits, 1750-1761 headed by José de Iturriaga y Aguirre, which resulted in new settlements in Guayana Province . This growth
3042-412: The construction of a new monument, beach walkways and a gateway to the city in the port of La Vela de Coro: these could have a considerable impact on the value of the site. In 2018 it was noted that while information provided by the "State Party" (i.e. Venezuela) demonstrated satisfactory advances in the implementation of many corrective measures, further information and actions were needed to ensure that
3120-476: The delay in the decisions with the most grave harm to my Royal Service. Therefore, to avoid these and greater harm, which would result in case of an invasion, I have best resolved the absolute separation of said Provinces of Cumaná, Guayana and Maracaibo, and islands of Trinidad and Margarita, from the Viceroyalty and Captaincy General of the New Kingdom of Granada, and add them in government and military matters to
3198-489: The entire Captaincy General. In 1824 it was recreated (minus territory lost to the new Carabobo Province ) as a reduced Caracas Province within a much smaller Venezuela Department . With the independence of Venezuela in 1830, the province was one of 11, becoming one of 13 by 1840. In 1848 Aragua Province and Guárico Province were split from Caracas. Following the Federal War , the States of Venezuela were created in 1864, and
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3276-471: The forerunner in the independence process would end in defeat, the capture and killing of rebel leader. In 1806 an expedition landed in the port of La Vela de Coro led by Francisco de Miranda . It was intended to be liberating, but was not greeted with enthusiasm by the locals. The expedition is still important as the precursor of the Spanish American wars of independence and in particular for bringing
3354-515: The form of a cross in Venezuela. Mansion built in 1770 by the Talavera family, and on this was born Bishop Mariano de Talavera, which famous corian that supported the cause of independence. The origin of its name is from the legend that in its land would be buried a treasure that has not yet been located. Alberto Henríquez Museum of Art The house built was built in the first half of the XVIII century by
3432-410: The governors of the Provinces of Guayana and Maracaibo on the inconveniences that are created in the indicated provinces, as well as those of Cumaná and Islands of Margarita and Trinidad, by remaining united as they are to the Viceroyalty and Captaincy General of the indicated New Kingdom of Granada, because of the distance at which they find themselves from its capital Santa Fe, resulting as a consequence
3510-503: The highest of all assets. In 1985 the Lucas Guillermo Castillo Museum managed to acquire a place called La Casa Manzano Campuzano or Casa de los Capriles next to the convent. It has its origins in a church commanded to be built by the founder of the city Juan de Ampíes in the 16th century. It is a cruciform building where each end pointing towards a central point. It is one of the few examples of colonial architecture in
3588-518: The house of the Welsers and first Governor of the Province of Venezuela) restructures the layout of the streets based on the original layout of the founding of the city. With its earthen constructions unique in the Caribbean, Coro is the surviving example of the rich fusion of indigenous traditions with the Spanish Mudéjar architectural techniques and irregular shape of German Welser architecture. It
3666-515: The independence and of vindication of the dominated classes in Venezuela originated in this region; it is also considered to be the cradle of the Venezuelan federalist movement in the republican era. Thanks to the city's history, culture and its well-preserved Colonial architecture, "Coro and its port La Vela" was designated in 1993 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO . Since 2005 it is on the UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger . At its founding
3744-552: The intervening years from the frontier regions of Maracaibo Province. The Audiencia was composed of a regent judge, three judges and a crown attorney. The governor-captain general served as its president. It was to carry out justice and to watch over the action of royal officials in the area of its jurisdiction. It only communicated directly with the Council of the Indies in Spain. A consulado
3822-434: The island, and trade and mercantile issues. The Royal Decree ( Real Cédula ) of June 13, 1786, was the first to establish the Real Audiencia, describe its functions and to define its limits (subsequent ones defined further faculties and appointed members): His Majesty has resolved in view of everything, that the Province of Maracaibo continue united, as it is, to the Captaincy General and Intendancy of Caracas, keeping what
3900-413: The key issues previously identified as affecting the property have been adequately addressed. From its historic colonial architecture to its diverse landscapes, Coro provides various forms of tourist attraction. In the extreme northeast of the city are the Médanos de Coro National Park, large dunes that are the only desert in Venezuela. They are located along the road that runs between the colonial area of
3978-419: The landing at the city's first Governor and Captain General Ambrosius Ehinger representing the Welser , an Augsburg banking and trading family. The family received the Province of Venezuela (as Klein-Venedig ) from the emperor Charles V for exploration, founding cities and exploitation of the resources of this vast territory that stretched from Cabo de la Vela ( Guajira Peninsula ) to Maracapana (near
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#17328512405754056-403: The largest part until the Barinas Province was split from it in 1786. For most of its existence the province was subject to the legal and administrative supervision of the Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo (except for two short periods from 1717 to 1723 and 1739 to 1742). Administrative supervision was transferred to the Viceroyalty of New Granada when this was created in 1717, and in 1777 to
4134-453: The late 18th and early 19th century reaches its colonial peak. Precisely from this period are the best preserved civilian buildings in the city. In 1795 a slave uprising occurs, and generally dominated social classes in the Sierra de Coro, led by the free zambo José Leonardo Chirino , which was aimed at the elimination of slavery and the establishment of the republican regime known for the time as "the French law". The movement, which would be
4212-403: The ministers who should serve in one and the other. The independence movement for Venezuela began with the establishment of the Caracas Junta in 1810. After the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence in 1811, the provinces of Caracas, Cumaná, Barinas, Margarita, and the newly separated ones of Barcelona , Trujillo , and Mérida established a Republic of Venezuela , which claimed the area of
4290-443: The mud, like adobe and wattle , which gives it a unique personality. Equally characteristic has a certain pattern that combines traditional Spanish checkerboard layout with an irregular shape typical of medieval German cities, product of the period in which the city was the seat of the domain of Welser . In the central town, some streets end abruptly, breaking the regularity of the Spanish checkerboard. Ambrosius Alfinger (German of
4368-440: The new Captaincy General of Venezuela . Legal supervision by Santo Domingo ended in 1786 when the Royal Audience of Caracas became functional within the new Captaincy General. The province was one of the 7 which signed the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence . Towards the end of the Venezuelan War of Independence it was incorporated into Gran Colombia , initially dissolved within the Venezuela Department which represented
4446-430: The north covering the Isla Margarita region). New Andalusia Province (created 1537) soon provided an eastern boundary, excepting a brief period (1633-1654) when the short-lived New Catalonia Province existed between the Venezuela and New Andalusia Provinces. Guayana Province (created 1585) formed a southern boundary. Matters in the west were more complex and fluid, but the Maracaibo Province (from 1676) formed clearly
4524-399: The principal activities of the city economy. Captaincy General of Venezuela The Captaincy General of Venezuela ( Spanish : Capitanía General de Venezuela ), was an administrative district of colonial Spain , created on September 8, 1777, through the Royal Decree of Graces of 1777, to provide more autonomy for the provinces of Venezuela , previously under the jurisdiction of
4602-423: The province ceased to exist. Santa Ana de Coro Coro is the capital of Falcón State and the second oldest city in Venezuela (after Cumaná ). It was founded on July 26, 1527, by Juan de Ampíes as Santa Ana de Coro . It was historically known as Neu- Augsburg (from 1528 to 1546) by the German Welsers , and Coro by the Spanish colonizers and Venezuelans, the city and buildings were built during
4680-399: The province of Maracaibo into a separate Captaincy General with Miyares at its head, but did ratify Monteverde as Captain General of the smaller Venezuela. During this period, the province of Maracaibo elected a representative to the Cortes, José Domingo Rus , who served from March 3, 1812, to May 10, 1814, and continued to represent the province before the crown after Ferdinand VII abolished
4758-413: The provinces of Maracaibo, Margarita, Cumaná, Guayana and Trinidad were transferred to the Santo Domingo Audiencia, which had taken appeals from the province of Caracas since 1742. Judicial matters were finally centralized in 1786 with the creation of the Audiencia of Caracas [ es ] , which had jurisdiction over these same provinces and the new Barinas Province , which had been established in
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#17328512405754836-477: The same Captaincy General, of having to recur for appeals in their affairs to the Audiencia Pretorial of Santo Domingo, the King has resolved to create another in Caracas, comprised for now of a Regent Dean, three judges [ oidores ] and a crown attorney [ fiscal ]; leaving the same number of ministers in the one in Santo Domingo and limiting its district to the Spanish part of that island, the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico; to which end His Majesty will of course name
4914-411: The same manner that Cumaná and the islands of Margarita and Trinidad are, so that they find themselves under the same immediate Audiencia, Captain General and Intendant, be better ruled and governed with better utility to my Royal Service. Accordingly, I order the Viceroy and Audiencia of Santa Fe restrained from, and to abstain from, the knowledge of the respective matters which corresponded to them before
4992-403: The scene of numerous events of historic significance, since the early republican period. Probably the architectural influences of Coro are unique. Among the buildings and places of interest highlights include: Since the creation of the Diocese of Coro by the papal bull of July 21, 1531, it directed the building of the Cathedral of St. Anne, one of the temples of Coro, and in 1567 the cathedral
5070-419: The seat on the circuit assembly, representing the fourth consecutive defeat of Chavismo in the city (the 2007 reform, the government in 2008, amendment in 2009 and parliamentary elections in 2010) The city has inherited a monumental architecture of the colonial and republican times features typical of the Andalusian architecture (southern Spain), with materials and techniques used by Native Americans based in
5148-407: The separation implied here; and order the governors of the Provinces of Cumaná, Guayana and Maracaibo, and Islands of Margarita and Trinidad, to obey as their Captain General, the one that today is, and in the future will be, of the Province of Venezuela, and carry out the orders that in my Royal Service he communicate to them in government and military matters; and that in the same way the governors of
5226-404: The state, Coro is the urban center around which political life of Falcón . It is the political and administrative capital, where is the seat of state government, among others, the Regional Council Legislature, the Governor, the courts and the seat (rector) of the Universidad Nacional Experimental Francisco de Miranda, as well as, the vast majority of representations of national government bodies. It
5304-427: The time, were the first defeat after eight years of successive electoral successes. Coro margin than in the rejection of the reform ("NO") was 57.08%. In relation to the regional elections of November 2008 the Mayor was obtained by the ruling party (PSUV), although in the city its candidate for governor of the state got fewer votes, when the city was characterized by votes ruling party. In the September 2010 elections to
5382-446: The tourist will find world-famous beaches for windsurfing in the Paraguaná Peninsula . One hour south, "La Sierra de Coro" presents small towns with a more temperate climate and views of the city. On clear days, visitors will be able to see the médanos (dunes) and behind them the Paraguaná Peninsula with its Cerro Santa Ana. Driving west, tourists can also visit Urumaco , an important fossil site. The Sierra de San Luis National Park
5460-431: The town was called Santa Ana de Coro (there is now an unsuccessful campaign to reinstate the colonial name of the city) in the Spanish style that named new cities in America according to the Catholic calendar, accompanied by a name of Indian origin. According to the tradition the word coro derives from the Caquetio word curiana , meaning "place of winds". However, according to the authoritative DRAE Spanish dictionary,
5538-409: The urban settlement founded by the Spanish conquerors who colonized the interior of the continent. As Neu-Augsburg , it was the first German colony in the Americas under the Welser family of Augsburg (from 1528 to 1546). It was then the first capital of the Spanish Captaincy General of Venezuela (1546-1578) and head of the first bishop founded in South America in 1531. The precursor movement of
5616-472: The use of earth (adobe, and earth reinforced with a plant structure in a technique called "bahareque"). Many of these buildings are vulnerable to heavy rains, as in its natural state earth is a material of low resistance to moisture. As well as the damage from rains between November 2004 and February 2005, the built environment had, according to UNESCO, been adversely affected by the construction of inappropriate walls and fences. There has also been concern about
5694-546: The word coro in its second meaning means "wind of the northwest", and comes from the Latin caurus . The city was founded on July 26, 1527, by Juan Martín de Ampués , with the name of Santa Ana de Coro. Ampíes covenanted to respect the authority of the Native chief Manaure highest authority of the natives of the region, the Caquetio people , This covenant is broken abruptly in 1529 with
5772-423: Was established in 1793 to oversee the new captaincy general's trade. In religious matters all of the provinces were also placed under the direction of the new archdiocese of Caracas in 1803. Two new dioceses , Mérida and Guayana were created, as well. Previously areas of the new diocese of Mérida had been part of the archdiocese of Bogotá , and Guayana had been part of the diocese of Puerto Rico . Control of
5850-518: Was not experienced evenly, and the monopoly hurt small farmers, who continued to sell most of their product in the contraband trade. Resentment of the Company exploded in open revolt in 1749 headed by Canarian immigrant Juan Francisco de León. The Captaincy General, which was essentially a new viceroyalty in all but name, was actually created slowly over time by centralizing fiscal, administrative, military and ecclesiastical rule in Caracas. The first step
5928-440: Was one) and especially to the harshness of its climate. Finally it was no longer the seat of the bishopric in 1636. During the seventeenth century Coro was hit by a hurricane and invasions of pirates, to the point where it appeared in the charts of English and French of the time with the title of "destroyed." However, these calamities left intact the countryside, with its productive power, which allowed it to recover slowly. Thus, in
6006-540: Was sacked by the Corsair Francis Drake . The current structure dates from 1583 and was completed by the end of the 17th century, making it the oldest Catholic church in Tierra Firma . Magnificent mansion built in the 17th century by Don José Francisco Garcés de la Colina . This is a house that has a portal that rises to more than eight feet (2.4 m) high, and so named because of the large windows protected by
6084-454: Was the creation of the Intendancy of Caracas, by Minister of the Indies, José de Gálvez in 1776. The new intendancy ( superintendencia de ejército y real hacienda ) covered the provinces of Venezuela (Caracas), Cumaná (sometimes New Andalusia ), Guayana , Maracaibo , Trinidad and Margarita . Up to this point Maracaibo, Guayana and Trinidad's governance had been directly supervised by
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