Villa Soriano
Encyclopedia
Villa Soriano is a town in the Soriano Department
Soriano Department
Soriano is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Mercedes.-Population and Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 84,563 people and 26,105 households in the department. The average household size was 3.2...

 of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

. Historically, it was also known as Santo Domingo de Soriano. It is located on the northwest end of Route 96, on the south bank of the river Río Negro
Río Negro (Uruguay)
The Río Negro is the most important river in Uruguay. It originates in the southern highlands of Brazil, just east of Bagé, and flows west across the entire width of Uruguay to the Uruguay River. The course of the Río Negro across Uruguay effectively divides the south of the country from the north...

, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) before it discharges into Río Uruguay.

Population

In 2004, Villa Soriano had a population of 1,184.
Year Population
1963 1,038
1975 1,120
1985 1,068
1996 1,074
2004 1,184

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay

History

Built in 1624, it constitutes the first permanent European settlement on Uruguayan soil, predating the foudation of Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...

 by more than fifty years. It was moved to its current location in 1708. The construction of its church began in 1751.

The town has strong associations with General José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan nationhood".-Early life:Artigas was born in Montevideo on June 19, 1764...

, who is honoured by Uruguayans as the 19th century liberator of the country.

External links

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