Barquisimeto
Encyclopedia
Barquisimeto is the capital city of the State of Lara located in west central Venezuela
, halfway between Caracas
and Maracaibo
on the Turbio River.
roots, being surrounded by a sugar cane valley and located near two of the largest vegetable-producing regions in Venezuela: the Valle de Quíbor (Quíbor Valley) and Sanare
.
Founded by Don Juan de Villegas in 1552 and named Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto, the city was moved several times before 1563, when the town finally settled in its present location. Today Barquisimeto is a modern city, the fourth most populated in the country, and is situated in the middle of Venezuela's west-central axis of communication, industry and agriculture.
Two well-known landmarks in Barquisimeto are the obelisk
, called El Obelisco (which is actually flat on top not making it a true obelisk), raised to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Barquisimeto's founding, and the Cathedral, which looks like an inverted orchid with a cross-like tinted glass dome, with a modern architecture not often found in Latin America. The building was designed in 1959 by Jan Bergkamp and finished in 1969.
Each January, a massive procession accompanies the Divina Pastora (Divine Shepherdess), a mobile statue of the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus and a sheep, in its trip from the nearby town of Santa Rosa to the Cathedral.
The streets of downtown Barquisimeto are going through some major construction due to the implementation of a trolley-car system that will connect the whole city, making a more efficient public transportation system. This new public transportation is named Transbarca and is expected to be completed by 2010.
, Archaeology
, Paleontology
, and one about the city. This last was inaugurated in 1983 in the old site of the Hospital La Caridad. In its ten rooms, the works of artists of the region can be observed, as well as exhibitions of collections and works from other museums. The city is considered the musical capital of Venezuela.
, who is in charge of representing the municipality's administration. The legislative branch is represented by the Municipal Council, composed of seven councillors, charged with the deliberation of new decrees and local laws. The comptroller tasks are managed by the municipal comptroller
's office, which oversees accountancy
. Finally, planning is represented by the Local Public Planning Council, which manages development projects for the municipality.
. The food trade is the city's main commercial activity, thanks to its advantageous geographic location which generates an influence area (hinterland) that covers near 6 million inhabitants. In addition of the food industry
, plastics, textiles, paper
, dairy
, farming and automotive industry
, represents the main industries of the city.
. Its geographic location, the hospitality of its people and the socioeconomic conditions, have motivated the migration of many young people to the city in search of academic progress, thus making Barquisimeto one of the cities with the highest educational development in Venezuela
:
Because of poor educational infrastructure in the poorer small cities and villages around Barquisimeto, academically gifted youth flock to the city and, due to lack of opportunities in the outlying regions, rarely return. This phenomenon occurs in other major cities throughout the country.
's University of California, Los Angeles
, is a public institution with seat in Barquisimeto, created on September 22, 1962, under the government of Romulo Betancourt
, under the name of Experimental Center for Superior Studies, it began with four schools: medicine
, agronomy
, veterinary and administration. In 1967, the name was changed to Central-Western University, continuing the educational and administrative activities of the Experimental Center of Superior Studies. On April 2, 1979, The Venezuelan government renamed the organization Lisandro Alvarado Central-Western University.
. The history of the University begins with the proposal from the UNESCO
to the Venezuelan government, to install a Technological Institute in the country, offering technical attendance, and resources. Three cities were interested in the offer, Caracas
, Valencia and Barquisimeto, being chosen the last one like principal seat, thanks to the campaign made by the Society of Friends of Barquisimeto, with the support of the Lara state government and the mass media. On September 22, 1962, the Superior Polytechnic Institute was founded, with its main seat in Barquisimeto, and on February 20, 1979, the Antonio José de Sucre National Experimental Polytechnic University was created, the institutes of Barquisimeto, Caracas
and Puerto Ordaz
, happened to integrate this university of high hierarchy in the national technology. By a lamentable decision of the national government, through Decree Number 68, on April 19, 1979, it countermanded the creation of the University. Twelve years later, on February 14, 1991, the Venezuelan court countermanded Decree Number 68 and consequently reinstated the University.
The Transbarca trolleybus
system is a new "bus rapid transit
" (BRT) system under construction. It is projected to serve an average of 170,000 people per day, using 80 trolleybus
es operating along 30 km (18.6 mi) of exclusive lanes, across the metropolitan area. Service is planned to include an express route of 22 km (13.7 mi) along with one local route of 8 km (5 mi). With 52 stations, the trolleybus BRT system is to include a centralized system of communication and security, and structures for easy access for elderly and disability people. Also, it has 18 electrical substation
s. It is to be complemented with feeder routes, covering the areas of Greater Barquisimeto the trolleybus line will not serve, which will connect with the trolleybuses at terminal stations.
The airport is called Jacinto Lara International Airport
.
The city is home to several notable football
and baseball
teams. Several other sports also have Barquisimeto as their home.
Guaros de Lara: is a basketball team in the Venezuelan Professional Basketball League. Founded in 1983 under the name of Bravos de Portuguesa, with seats in the cities of Acarigua
and Araure
, in 1992 the team was transferred to Barquisimeto, like Malteros de Lara, in 1995 it adopted the name of Bravos de Lara. Since 2005 the team changed to its present name, Guaros de Lara. Its primary venue is the Domo Bolivariano
, an indoor sporting arena with a seating capacity of 10,000.
. The elevator, however, has been out of use for years and the front entrance of the "Obelisk" (which is so in name only since it is flat on top) is used to store materials lying around the grounds surrounding.
.
Each January 14, the statue is carried by 6 to 10 men, accompanied by a procession of more than 2 million people, some barefoot and carrying crosses, from the Church of Santa Rosa, in the village of Santa Rosa near the city, to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Barquisimeto. On its return trip, it stops at other churches in Barquisimeto, arriving back in Santa Rosa in time for Palm Sunday
. According to the history books, this tradition comes from Seville
, Spain
. A Capuchin
friar
, Isidore of Seville, had a dream in which he saw an image of the Divina Pastora. Days later, he gave to the artist Miguel Alonso de Tovar, a detailed description of his vision, so that he could paint it. The painting of the virgin with pastoral hat, covered by a blue mantle, holding a boy in her left hand and a lamb in her right one, was called "Divina Pastora de Almas". Later, the sculptor Francisco Antonio Gijón, made a life-sized sculpture
of the Divina Pastora, which was carried in its first procession in 1705.
The popular legend of the Divina Pastora in Venezuela, dates from 1736, when the parish priest of the town of Santa Rosa commissioned a sculptor to make a statue of the Immaculate Conception
. Unexpectedly, the figure that was delivered was of the Divina Pastora. The priest wanted to return it, but the packing crate could not be lifted. The whole town took this as a sign that the statue wanted to remain in Santa Rosa. In 1855 the status of the Divina Pastora as the patron saint of the Venezuelan state of Lara
was further established, when a cholera
epidemic occurred, striking a great number of families in Barquisimeto. Desperate, they implored the Divina Pastora for help. It is said that Father Jose Macario Yépez, parish priest of the La Concepción church of Barquisimeto, offered himself before the Virgin, to be the last victim of the disease. Some accounts say that the priest died six months later and that the epidemic then left the city; others indicate that his supplications stopped the epidemic immediately.
The January 14 procession commemorates this event. It is a festive occasion, with countless street vendors selling anything from food to liquor and small religious figurines along the route that snakes through the city. Every year the virgin is dressed differently by a local designer.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, halfway between Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
and Maracaibo
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
on the Turbio River.
Overview
The city has strong agricultural/industrialAgribusiness
In agriculture, agribusiness is a generic term for the various businesses involved in food production, including farming and contract farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesale and distribution, processing, marketing, and retail sales....
roots, being surrounded by a sugar cane valley and located near two of the largest vegetable-producing regions in Venezuela: the Valle de Quíbor (Quíbor Valley) and Sanare
Sanare
Sanare is a major city and the seat of government in the municipality of Andrés Eloy Blanco in Lara State, Venezuela. Andrés Eloy Blanco is further subdivided into three parishes: Pio Tamayo , Yacambú, and La Quebrada Honda del Guache...
.
Founded by Don Juan de Villegas in 1552 and named Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto, the city was moved several times before 1563, when the town finally settled in its present location. Today Barquisimeto is a modern city, the fourth most populated in the country, and is situated in the middle of Venezuela's west-central axis of communication, industry and agriculture.
Two well-known landmarks in Barquisimeto are the obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
, called El Obelisco (which is actually flat on top not making it a true obelisk), raised to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Barquisimeto's founding, and the Cathedral, which looks like an inverted orchid with a cross-like tinted glass dome, with a modern architecture not often found in Latin America. The building was designed in 1959 by Jan Bergkamp and finished in 1969.
Each January, a massive procession accompanies the Divina Pastora (Divine Shepherdess), a mobile statue of the Virgin Mary with Baby Jesus and a sheep, in its trip from the nearby town of Santa Rosa to the Cathedral.
The streets of downtown Barquisimeto are going through some major construction due to the implementation of a trolley-car system that will connect the whole city, making a more efficient public transportation system. This new public transportation is named Transbarca and is expected to be completed by 2010.
Past and present
Founded by Don Juan de Villegas in 1552 under the name of Nueva Segovia de Barquisimeto, the city was renamed and moved several times before its permanent establishment in 1563. Barquisimeto is now a modern city, with the fourth largest number of inhabitants of all Venezuelan cities. It is important as a center of communications, agriculture and industries, of the central and western part of the country. In Barquisimeto, as in most Venezuelan cities, there is an interesting mix of colonial and modern architecture. A notable example of the latter is the Cathedral, which was designed by the architect John Bergcamp. The city has varied museums, of subjects like: HistoryHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, Paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
, and one about the city. This last was inaugurated in 1983 in the old site of the Hospital La Caridad. In its ten rooms, the works of artists of the region can be observed, as well as exhibitions of collections and works from other museums. The city is considered the musical capital of Venezuela.
Geography
Barquisimeto is located on plateau, 614 meters above sea level, with an average temperature of 26°C (79°F) throughout the year, and a population that exceeds 800,000 inhabitants. Barquisimeto is centrally located within the country, but poor interstate highways and tolls approximately every 110 kilometres (68.4 mi) make the trip from Barquisimeto to Caracas difficult to complete in less than four and a half hours, even though it is only about 360 kilometres (223.7 mi) away.| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F | 83 | 84 | 86 | 85 | 84 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 82 | 84 |
| Avg low °F | 67 | 68 | 69 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 69 | 70 |
| Avg high °C | 28 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 |
| Avg low °C | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
Law and government
Barquisimeto has one municipality: Iribarren Municipality. Venezuelan law specifies that municipal governments have four main functions: executive, legislative, comptroller, and planning. The executive function is managed by the mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, who is in charge of representing the municipality's administration. The legislative branch is represented by the Municipal Council, composed of seven councillors, charged with the deliberation of new decrees and local laws. The comptroller tasks are managed by the municipal comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
's office, which oversees accountancy
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
. Finally, planning is represented by the Local Public Planning Council, which manages development projects for the municipality.
Economy
The economic potential of the city is tied to the small, medium and large industry, that has access to regional and national markets, with a great perspective of internationalization thanks to its convenient access to the sea by rail via Puerto CabelloPuerto Cabello
Puerto Cabello is a city on the north coast of Venezuela. It is located in Carabobo State about 75 km west of Caracas. As of 2001, the city has a population of around 154,000 people. The city is the home to the largest port in the country and is thus a vital cog in the country's vast oil...
. The food trade is the city's main commercial activity, thanks to its advantageous geographic location which generates an influence area (hinterland) that covers near 6 million inhabitants. In addition of the food industry
Food industry
The food production is a complex, global collective of diverse businesses that together supply much of the food energy consumed by the world population...
, plastics, textiles, paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
, farming and automotive industry
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
, represents the main industries of the city.
Colleges and universities
Barquisimeto hosts a big number of universities and institutes, that has originated a great student population, not just locals but from other regions of VenezuelaVenezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Its geographic location, the hospitality of its people and the socioeconomic conditions, have motivated the migration of many young people to the city in search of academic progress, thus making Barquisimeto one of the cities with the highest educational development in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
:
Because of poor educational infrastructure in the poorer small cities and villages around Barquisimeto, academically gifted youth flock to the city and, due to lack of opportunities in the outlying regions, rarely return. This phenomenon occurs in other major cities throughout the country.
Lisandro Alvarado Central-Western University
(Universidad Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado) or UCLA (Not to be confused with Southern CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
, is a public institution with seat in Barquisimeto, created on September 22, 1962, under the government of Romulo Betancourt
Rómulo Betancourt
Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello , known as "The Father of Venezuelan Democracy", was President of Venezuela from 1945 to 1948 and again from 1959 to 1964, as well as leader of Accion Democratica, Venezuela's dominant political party in the 20th century...
, under the name of Experimental Center for Superior Studies, it began with four schools: medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, agronomy
Agronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
, veterinary and administration. In 1967, the name was changed to Central-Western University, continuing the educational and administrative activities of the Experimental Center of Superior Studies. On April 2, 1979, The Venezuelan government renamed the organization Lisandro Alvarado Central-Western University.
Antonio José de Sucre National Experimental Polytechnic University
(Universidad Nacional Experimental Politécnica Antonio José de Sucre) or UNEXPO, is a public institution, with a small campus in CaroraCarora
Carora is a town in Lara State, Venezuela, on the Morere River, a branch of the Tocuyo River. It is about 54 miles southwest of Barquisimeto. Carora was founded twice. The first time, in the year 1569 by Juan de Tejo, but due to constant attacks from the indigenous population, it was abandoned,...
. The history of the University begins with the proposal from the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
to the Venezuelan government, to install a Technological Institute in the country, offering technical attendance, and resources. Three cities were interested in the offer, Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Valencia and Barquisimeto, being chosen the last one like principal seat, thanks to the campaign made by the Society of Friends of Barquisimeto, with the support of the Lara state government and the mass media. On September 22, 1962, the Superior Polytechnic Institute was founded, with its main seat in Barquisimeto, and on February 20, 1979, the Antonio José de Sucre National Experimental Polytechnic University was created, the institutes of Barquisimeto, Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
and Puerto Ordaz
Puerto Ordaz
Puerto Ordaz is a planned city which, together with the older settlement of San Felix, forms Ciudad Guayana in Bolívar State, eastern Venezuela. Puerto Ordaz is located at the confluence of the Caroní and Orinoco Rivers and is the site of the Llovizna Falls. There are bridges across the Caroni and...
, happened to integrate this university of high hierarchy in the national technology. By a lamentable decision of the national government, through Decree Number 68, on April 19, 1979, it countermanded the creation of the University. Twelve years later, on February 14, 1991, the Venezuelan court countermanded Decree Number 68 and consequently reinstated the University.
Other universities
- Universidad Fermín Toro
- Universidad Nacional Abierta
- Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodriguez
- Instituto Pedagógico de Barquisimeto
- Universidad Yacambú
- Universidad Nacional Experimental Politécnica De la Fuerza Armada
- Instituto Universitario Tecnológico Rodolfo Loero Arismendi
- Central University of VenezuelaCentral University of VenezuelaThe Central University of Venezuela is a premier public University of Venezuela located in Caracas...
- Centro Instituto de Diseño Gráfico (CIDIG)
- Instituto Universitario Experimental “Andrés Eloy Blanco”
- Instituto Universitario de Tecnología “Antonio José de Sucre”
- Colegio Universitario Fermin Toro
Transportation
The mode of transportation most commonly used are the “rapiditos”, old automobiles with an average capacity of 5 passengers, with a route similar to the buses and used mainly to shuttle people between downtown and the suburbs, like the shared cabs in other countries.The Transbarca trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
system is a new "bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
" (BRT) system under construction. It is projected to serve an average of 170,000 people per day, using 80 trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...
es operating along 30 km (18.6 mi) of exclusive lanes, across the metropolitan area. Service is planned to include an express route of 22 km (13.7 mi) along with one local route of 8 km (5 mi). With 52 stations, the trolleybus BRT system is to include a centralized system of communication and security, and structures for easy access for elderly and disability people. Also, it has 18 electrical substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
s. It is to be complemented with feeder routes, covering the areas of Greater Barquisimeto the trolleybus line will not serve, which will connect with the trolleybuses at terminal stations.
- Buses are the main means of mass transportation, the system runs a variety of bus types, operated by several companies on normal streets and avenues:
- bus; large buses.
- buseta; medium-sized buses.
- microbus or colectivo; vans or minivans.
- rapiditos; old cars with capacity for 5 or more people.
The airport is called Jacinto Lara International Airport
Jacinto Lara International Airport
Jacinto Lara International Airport is an airport in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, named after Venezuelan independence hero Jacinto Lara. It serves to the citi of Barquisimeto and others as Yaritagua and Carora, the main citi in west-central area of Venezuela...
.
Sports
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
teams. Several other sports also have Barquisimeto as their home.
- Cardenales de LaraCardenales de LaraThe Cardenales de Lara is a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Founded in 1942 and based in Barquisimeto, the Cardenales have won four domestic titles, the most recent in 2001.-Notable players:* Luis Sojo* Luis Leal...
: (Lara Cardinals) is a baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball LeagueVenezuelan Professional Baseball LeagueThe Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional is the highest level baseball league in Venezuela.-Brief history:Baseball exploded in Venezuela in 1941, following the world championship in Havana....
. Founded in 19421942 in baseball-Major League Baseball:*World Series: St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees *All-Star Game, July 6 at Polo Grounds: American League, 3-1-Other champions:*Negro Leagues World Series: Kansas City Monarchs over Homestead Grays...
and based in Barquisimeto, the Cardenales have won four domestic titles, the most recent in 20012001 in baseball-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Arizona Diamondbacks*Postseason - October 9 to November 4Click on any series score to link to that series' page....
, have like seat the Don Antonio Herrera Gutiérrez stadium, with a capacity of 20,450 spectators. This team's fan following is so big that, when they win the finals, the next day is a holiday in all Lara state.
Guaros de Lara: is a basketball team in the Venezuelan Professional Basketball League. Founded in 1983 under the name of Bravos de Portuguesa, with seats in the cities of Acarigua
Acarigua
Acarigua is a city in northwestern Venezuela, in the northern part of the state of Portuguesa at coordinates . The city's population is 116 551 but now estimated at 208,495 for 2008. Formerly the state capital, it is a major commercial center for the northern Llanos region of South America. It is...
and Araure
Araure
Araure is a town in the Venezuelan state of Portuguesa. This town is the shire town of the Araure Municipality and, according to the 2001 Venezuelan census, the municipality has a population of 111,908.-Demographics:...
, in 1992 the team was transferred to Barquisimeto, like Malteros de Lara, in 1995 it adopted the name of Bravos de Lara. Since 2005 the team changed to its present name, Guaros de Lara. Its primary venue is the Domo Bolivariano
Domo Bolivariano
Domo Bolivariano is an indoor sporting arena located in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. The capacity of the arena is 10,000 and is used mostly for basketball. Coach Wolfgang Lucena used to coach at this Domo Bolivariano. :es:Personajes ilustres de Barquisimeto...
, an indoor sporting arena with a seating capacity of 10,000.
Sports teams
- Baseball: Cardenales de LaraCardenales de LaraThe Cardenales de Lara is a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Founded in 1942 and based in Barquisimeto, the Cardenales have won four domestic titles, the most recent in 2001.-Notable players:* Luis Sojo* Luis Leal...
BBC. - Soccer: Club Deportivo Lara and Lara FC
- Basketball: Guaros de Lara.
Sites of interest
Barquisimeto Athenaeum
On October 8, 1986, this Athenaeum was created by a group of cultural promoters, poets, writers, educators and sociocultural workers. This institute was created under the fundamental principle, for the rescue of the traditions and customs of the city, so that can be constituted a legacy for future generations, and thus to reinforce the culture of Barquisimeto.The obelisk
This is the symbol of Barquisimeto, created to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the city. Constructed in 1952 by the engineer Rafael Jose Raga, it is a concrete and steel structure of 75 meters of height, provided with an elevatorElevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
. The elevator, however, has been out of use for years and the front entrance of the "Obelisk" (which is so in name only since it is flat on top) is used to store materials lying around the grounds surrounding.
Barquisimeto Museum
This structure dates from 1579, when it was the site of the “San Lazaro” Hospital. Later in 1877, it was reconstructed as "La Caridad" Hospital. Finally, in 1939, the Hospital was named "Antonio Maria Pineda" and moved to another location, leaving this building empty. Years later it became the site of the Barquisimeto Museum.Juares Theater
This theater is located in the center of the city and was inaugurated in 1905 with the name of "Municipal Theater", and was reconstructed almost totally for the four hundred year anniversary of Barquisimeto. It has been witness to the growth and history of this population. It has hosted the works of a great number of artists of diverse sorts: dance, song, ballet and theater, among others. It has a special attraction for the tourists, due to its structure and the different cultural manifestations of the city and the country that are represented there. This theater was the first in Lara stateLara (state)
Lara State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Barquisimeto.Lara State covers a total surface area of and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 1,795,100.- Municipalities and municipal seats :...
.
Divina Pastora
The Divina Pastora (Divine Shepherdess), a statue of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus and a sheep, is one of the most important religious icons of Venezuela. It is the local representation of the Virgin and the patron saint of the city and of the Venezuelan National Militia.Each January 14, the statue is carried by 6 to 10 men, accompanied by a procession of more than 2 million people, some barefoot and carrying crosses, from the Church of Santa Rosa, in the village of Santa Rosa near the city, to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Barquisimeto. On its return trip, it stops at other churches in Barquisimeto, arriving back in Santa Rosa in time for Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
. According to the history books, this tradition comes from Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. A Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
friar
Friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
, Isidore of Seville, had a dream in which he saw an image of the Divina Pastora. Days later, he gave to the artist Miguel Alonso de Tovar, a detailed description of his vision, so that he could paint it. The painting of the virgin with pastoral hat, covered by a blue mantle, holding a boy in her left hand and a lamb in her right one, was called "Divina Pastora de Almas". Later, the sculptor Francisco Antonio Gijón, made a life-sized sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
of the Divina Pastora, which was carried in its first procession in 1705.
The popular legend of the Divina Pastora in Venezuela, dates from 1736, when the parish priest of the town of Santa Rosa commissioned a sculptor to make a statue of the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
. Unexpectedly, the figure that was delivered was of the Divina Pastora. The priest wanted to return it, but the packing crate could not be lifted. The whole town took this as a sign that the statue wanted to remain in Santa Rosa. In 1855 the status of the Divina Pastora as the patron saint of the Venezuelan state of Lara
Lara (state)
Lara State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Barquisimeto.Lara State covers a total surface area of and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 1,795,100.- Municipalities and municipal seats :...
was further established, when a cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic occurred, striking a great number of families in Barquisimeto. Desperate, they implored the Divina Pastora for help. It is said that Father Jose Macario Yépez, parish priest of the La Concepción church of Barquisimeto, offered himself before the Virgin, to be the last victim of the disease. Some accounts say that the priest died six months later and that the epidemic then left the city; others indicate that his supplications stopped the epidemic immediately.
The January 14 procession commemorates this event. It is a festive occasion, with countless street vendors selling anything from food to liquor and small religious figurines along the route that snakes through the city. Every year the virgin is dressed differently by a local designer.
See also
- VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
- Lara stateLara (state)Lara State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. The state capital is Barquisimeto.Lara State covers a total surface area of and, in 2007, had an estimated population of 1,795,100.- Municipalities and municipal seats :...
- List of cities in Venezuela
- List of wine-producing regions
- Railway stations in VenezuelaRailway stations in VenezuelaRailway stations in Venezuela include:City with underground railway system:* Caracas * Los Teques Metro - opened in 2006.See* East-West Railway, Venezuela* Instituto Autónomo de Ferrocarriles del Estado- Maps :...
External links
- LaraTurismo, WebGuide of Tourism in Lara
- Barquisimeto.com
- MiBarquisimeto, Dedicado a Barquisimeto
- Check the weather in Barquisimeto now
- Nuevo Sistema Ferroviario de Venezuela
- Video Footage of Barquisimeto and some of its places
- Barquisimeto, Bitacora de una Ciudad
- Venezuela Tuya, Barquisimeto
- Discover Venezuela, Barquisimeto
- Museo de Barquisimeto