Exploring Sicily Your Comprehensive Ebook Travel Guide
Potosi the silver city
1.
2.
3. The discovery of ore in silver-rich
Cerro Rico in 1544 prompted the
foundation of the city of Potosí in
1545 at the foot of the hill. The city
started under the name of Villa
Imperial de Carlos V. Large-scale
excavation began in the site
immediately and the first shipment
of silver was sent to Spain. In
1672, a mint was established to
coin silver and water reservoirs
were built to fulfill the growing
population's needs. At that time
more than eighty six churches were
built and the city's population
increased to nearly 200,000, making
it one of the largest and wealthiest
cities in Latin America and in the
world.
4. Hundreds, possibly thousands of
shiploads of silver were sent to
Spain over the course of more than
300 years. At one point, there was
so much silver that during a
particular festival the cobblestones
were removed from the city street
and replaced with bars of silver.
Stories of the city that paved its
streets with silver reached Europe
and motivated many more settlers
to arrive. Potosi has gone from
opulent to poverty stricken and
today is one of the poorest regions
of Bolivia.
5.
6.
7. In the 16th century, this area was regarded as the world's largest
industrial complex. The extraction of silver ore relied on a series of
hydraulic mills. The site consists of the industrial monuments of the Cerro
Rico (the mountain where come from the silver and the precious minerals),
where water is provided by an intricate system of aqueducts and artificial
lakes (UNESCO)
15. Portal of Iglesia de San
Lorenzo de Carangas -
ornate Baroque mestizo
combines Andean and
Catholic symbols. It was
carved in stone by master
Indian artisans in the 16th
century, but the main
structure wasn't completed
until the bell towers were
added in 1744.
16. This church is decorated in a type of bolivian plateresco style. Indian elements like the sun
and the moon can be seen in the decoration.
22. Thanks to silver extraction, Potosi became the largest city
in the Americas. In 1553, the city received the title of
Imperial City under Carlos V, King of Spain, and was
visited by architects and artists that transformed the city
into a symbol of riches, luxury, and splendor.
43. The amazing amount of silver taken from Cerro Rico, the population growth and expansion of
commerce, and the unexpected ascendancy of the city, among other factors, made it advisable to
establish a mint in Potosi.
66. UNESCO named Potosi Cultural
and Natural Heritage of
Humanity and the Organization of
American States named Potosi a
Monument City of the Americas
for its cultural and historic value.
Colonial painting
10/07/2011
