Montevideo
,
Uruguay
Montevideo
Montevideo
’s aboriginal
inhabitants were the Charrua Indians, a hunter-gatherer people who cared little
for outsiders. They killed the explorer Juan Diaz de Sold and most of his party
when the Spaniards encountered them in 1516. By the 17th century, the
Charrua had prospered and, abandoning hostilities began trading with the
Spanish.
In 1680, the Portuguese
founded Colonia on the estuary of the
Rio de la Plata
as a rival to Spanish-held Buenos Aims on the
opposite shore.
Spain
responded by building its citadel at
Montevideo
. Uruguayan hero Jose Artigas fought against the
Spanish but was unable to prevent a Brazilian takeover of the Banda (the
original name of the eastern shore of the
Rio de la Plata
). Exiled to
Paraguay
, he inspired the ~33 “Orientales” who, with
Argentine support, liberated the area in 1828 and established
Uruguay
as an independent superstate between
Argentina
and
Brazil
.
Montevideo
is the capital of
Uruguay
and of the department of
Montevideo
. It lies on north shore of the
Rio de la Plata
Estuary.
Montevideo
was founded in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala,
Governor of Buenos Aires, to counteract the Portuguese advance into the area
from
Brazil
. Home
to almost 5096 of the nation’s population,
Montevideo
is a modern metropolis with a historical old
town dating back to colonial times. Surrounding the whole city lies an
Uninterrupted stretch of white sandy beach.
Highlights include Ciudad
Vieja (
Old
Town
) with its 18th century buildings, the vibrant
Mercado del Puerto. For a taste of a
unique local flavor, you may want to try a unique wine varietal known as Tannat.
The Tannat is a Uruguayan specialty which has gradually earned international
acclaim as a result of its careful and deliberate development and enhancement.
It is paired with red meat and well matured cheese. The color of tannat red
ranges from a rich cherry-red color to an almost black ink shade. Its
bouquet is full with a richness of tannin and a full body.