A Portuguese garrison was established in the place where today is the city of Montevideo in November 1723. The Portuguese garrison was expelled in February 1724 by a Spanish soldier,Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst theSpanish-Portuguese dispute over theplatine region. There is no official document establishing the foundation of the city, but the "Diario" of Bruno Mauricio de Zabala officially mentions the date of 24 December 1726 as the foundation, corroborated by presential witnesses. The complete independence from Buenos Aires as a real city was not reached until 1 January 1730. It was also under briefBritish rule in 1807, but eventually the city was retaken by Spanishcriollos who defeated theBritish invasions of the River Plate. Montevideo is the seat of the administrative headquarters ofMercosur andALADI,Latin America's leading trade blocs, a position that entailed comparisons to the role ofBrussels in Europe.[13]
The 2019 Mercer's report on quality of life, rated Montevideo first in Latin America,[14] a rank the city has consistently held since 2005.[15][16][17][18][19] As of 2010[update], Montevideo was the 19th largest city economy inthe continent and 9th highest income earner amongmajor cities.[20] In 2022, it has a projectedGDP of $53.9 billion, with aper capita of $30,148.[21]
In 2018, it was classified as a betaglobal city ranking eighth inLatin America and 84th in the world.[22] Montevideo hosted every match during thefirst FIFA World Cup, in 1930. Described as a "vibrant, eclectic place with a rich cultural life",[23] and "a thriving tech center and entrepreneurial culture",[18] Montevideo ranked eighth in Latin America on the 2013MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index.[24]
The city features historic European architecture,[25] and is in fact considered one of the cities with the mostart deco influence.[26] It is the hub of commerce and higher education in Uruguay as well as its chief port andfinancial hub, anchoring themetropolitan area with a population of around 2 million.
There are several explanations for the wordMontevideo. All agree that "Monte" refers to theCerro de Montevideo, the hill situated across theBay of Montevideo, but there is disagreement about the etymological origin of the "video" part.[27]
Cerro de Montevideo as seen from the city, in 1865.
Monte vide eu ("I saw a mount") is the most widespread belief[28][29] but is rejected by the majority of experts, who consider it unlikely because it involves a mix of dialects. The name would come from aPortuguese expression which means "I saw a mount", wrongly pronounced by an anonymous sailor belonging to the expedition ofFernando de Magallanes on catching sight of the Cerro de Montevideo.
Montem vídeo ("I see a hill"): This version, a variant of the previous one, suggests that the name comes directly from Latin, stemming from the spontaneous expression of a learned member of Magellan's expedition, who, upon spotting the Cerro de Montevideo, exclaimed:Montem vídeo ("I see a hill"). The rest of the crew, who did not speak Latin, mistakenly registered this as the name of the hill they had just sighted,Monte Vídeo. This theory is supported by numerous maps and documents from the colonial period that refer to the Cerro de Montevideo with the nameMonte Vídeo.[30]
Monte Vidi: This hypothesis comes from the "Diario de Navegación" (Navigational Calendar) of boatswain Francisco de Albo, member of the expedition ofFernando de Magallanes,[28] who wrote, "Tuesday of the said [month of January 1520] we were on the straits of Cape Santa María [nowPunta del Este], from where the coast runs east to west, and the terrain is sandy, and at the right of the cape there is a mountain like a hat to which we gave the name "Montevidi"."[31] This is the oldest Spanish document that mentions the promontory with a name similar to the one that designates the city, but it does not contain any mention of the alleged cry "Monte vide eu."
Monte-VI-D-E-O (MonteVIDeEste aOeste, "Sixth mount from east to west"): According to Rolando Laguarda Trías, professor of history, the Spaniards annotated the geographic location on a map orPortolan chart, so that the mount/hill is the VI (6th) mount observable on the coast, navigating Río de la Plata from east to west.[32][33][34] With the passing of time, these words were unified to "Montevideo". No conclusive evidence has been found to confirm this academic hypothesis, nor can it be asserted with certainty which the other five mounts observable before the Cerro were.
Monte Ovídio (Monte Santo Ovídio), a less widespread hypothesis of a religious origin,[28] stems from an interpolation in the aforementionedDiario de Navegación of Fernando de Albo, where it is asserted "corruptly now called Santo Vidio" when they refer to the hat-like mount which they named Monte Vidi (that is, the Cerro de Montevideo).Auditus of Braga (Spanish:Ovídio) was the third bishop of the Roman city ofBraga (now in Portugal) in 95 CE, where he was always revered; a monument to him was erected there in 1505. Given the relationship that the Portuguese had with the discovery and foundation of Montevideo, and despite the fact that this hypothesis, like the previous ones, lacks conclusive documentation, there have been those who linked the name of Santo Ovídio or Vídio (appearing on some maps of the time) with the subsequent derivation of the name "Montevideo" given to the region since the early years of the 16th century.
Between 1680 and 1683, Portugal founded the city ofColonia do Sacramento in the region across the bay fromBuenos Aires. This city met with no resistance from the Spanish until 1723, when they began to place fortifications on the elevations around Montevideo Bay. On 22 November 1723, Field MarshalManuel de Freitas da Fonseca [pt] of Portugal built the Montevieu fort.
Arrival of the first families from the Canary Islands in 1726.
A Spanish expedition was sent from Buenos Aires, organized by the Spanish governor of that city, Bruno Mauricio de Zabala. On 22 January 1724, the Spanish forced the Portuguese to abandon the location and started populating the city, initially with six families moving in from Buenos Aires and soon thereafter by families arriving from theCanary Islands who were known asGuanches orCanarians. There was also one significant early Italian resident by the name of Jorge Burgues.[35]
A census of the city's inhabitants was performed in 1724 and then a plan was drawn delineating the city and designating it asSan Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo, later shortened to Montevideo. The census counted more than 100 families ofGalician and Canary Islands origin, more than 1000 indigenous people, mostlyGuaraní, as well as sometrafficked slaves ofBantu origin.[34]
A few years after its foundation, Montevideo became the main city of the region north of the Río de la Plata and east of theUruguay River, competing with Buenos Aires for dominance in maritime commerce. The importance of Montevideo as the main port of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata brought it in confrontations with the city of Buenos Aires in various occasions, including several times when it was taken over to be used as a base to defend the eastern province of the Viceroyalty from Portuguese incursions.[citation needed]
In 1776, Spain made Montevideo its main naval base (Real Apostadero de Marina) for the South Atlantic, with authority over the Argentine coast,Fernando Po, and theFalklands.[36]
Until the end of the 18th century, Montevideo remained a fortified area, today known asCiudad Vieja.
During theMay Revolution of 1810 and the subsequent uprising of the provinces of Rio de la Plata, the Spanish colonial government moved to Montevideo. During that year and the next, Uruguayan revolutionaryJosé Gervasio Artigas united with others from Buenos Aires against Spain.[39] In 1811, the forces deployed by theJunta Grande of Buenos Aires and thegaucho forces led by Artigas started asiege of Montevideo, which had refused to obey the directives of the new authorities of the May Revolution. The siege was lifted at the end of that year, when the military situation started deteriorating in theUpper Peru region.
The Spanish governor was expelled in 1814. In 1816, Portugal invaded the recently liberated territory and in 1821, it was annexed to the Banda Oriental of Brazil. It was namedImperial City [pt] byEmperorPedro I when the city was part of theEmpire of Brazil as the capital of theCisplatina province.[39]Juan Antonio Lavalleja and his band called theTreinta y Tres Orientales ("Thirty-Three Orientals") re-established the independence of the region in 1825. Uruguay was consolidated as an independent state in 1828, with Montevideo as the nation's capital.[29] In 1829, the demolition of the city's fortifications began and plans were made for an extension beyond the Ciudad Vieja, referred to as the "Ciudad Nueva" ("new city"). Urban expansion, however, moved very slowly because of the events that followed.[40]
Map of Montevideo during theGuerra Grande (1843–1851).
Uruguay's 1830s were dominated by the confrontation betweenManuel Oribe andFructuoso Rivera, the two revolutionary leaders who had fought against theEmpire of Brazil under the command of Lavalleja, each of whom had become thecaudillo of their respective faction.[41] Politics were divided between Oribe'sBlancos ("whites"), represented by theNational Party, and Rivera'sColorados ("reds"), represented by theColorado Party, with each party's name taken from the color of its emblems. In 1838, Oribe was forced to resign from the presidency; he established a rebel army and began a long civil war, theGuerra Grande, which lasted until 1851.
The city of Montevideo suffered asiege of eight years between 1843 and 1851, during which it was supplied by sea with British and French support.[32] By 1843 Montevideo's population of thirty thousand inhabitants was highly cosmopolitan with Uruguayans making up only a third of it.[42] The remaining were chiefly Italian (4205), Spanish (3406), Argentine (2553), Portuguese (659), English (606) and Brazilians (492).[42] Oribe, with the support of the then conservativeGovernor of Buenos Aires ProvinceJuan Manuel de Rosas, besieged the Colorados in Montevideo, where the latter were supported by the French Legion, the Italian Legion, the Basque Legion and battalions from Brazil. Finally in 1851, with the additional support of Argentine rebels who opposed Rosas, the Colorados defeated Oribe.[39] The fighting however resumed in 1855, when the Blancos came to power, which they maintained until 1865. Thereafter, the Colorado Party regained power, which they retained until the middle of the 20th century.
After the end of hostilities, a period of growth and expansion started for the city. In 1853 astagecoach bus line was established joining Montevideo with the newly formed settlement ofUnión and the first natural gasstreet lights were inaugurated.[citation needed] From 1854 to 1861 the first public sanitation facilities were constructed. In 1856 the Teatro Solís was inaugurated, 15 years after the beginning of its construction. By Decree, in December 1861 the areas ofAguada andCordón were incorporated to the growingCiudad Nueva (New City).[43] In 1866, an underwater telegraph line connected the city with Buenos Aires. The statue of Peace,La Paz, was erected on a column in Plaza Cagancha and the building of the Postal Service as well as the bridge of Paso Molino were inaugurated in 1867.[44]
In 1868, thehorse-drawn tram companyCompañía de Tranvías al Paso del Molino y Cerro created the first lines connecting Montevideo with Unión, the beach resort ofCapurro and the industrialized and economically independentVilla del Cerro, at the time calledCosmopolis. In the same year, the Mercado del Puerto was inaugurated. In 1869, the first railway line of the companyFerrocarril Central del Uruguay was inaugurated connectingBella Vista with the town ofLas Piedras. During the same year and the next, the neighborhoodsColón,Nuevo París andLa Comercial were founded. The Sunday market of Tristán Narvaja Street was established inCordón in 1870. Public water supply was established in 1871. In 1878,Bulevar Circunvalación was constructed, a boulevard starting fromPunta Carretas, going up to the north end of the city and then turning west to end at the beach of Capurro. It was renamedArtigas Boulevard in 1885.[44] By Decree, on 8 January 1881, the areaLos Pocitos was incorporated into theNovísima Ciudad (Most New City).[43]
The first telephone lines were installed in 1882 and electric street lights took the place of the gas-operated ones in 1886. The Hipódromo de Maroñas started operating in 1888, and the neighborhoods of Reus del Sur,Reus del Norte andConciliación were inaugurated in 1889. The new building of the School of Arts and Trades, as well as Zabala Square in Ciudad Vieja were inaugurated in 1890, followed by the Italian Hospital in 1891. In the same year, the village ofPeñarol was founded. Other neighborhoods that were founded were Belgrano andBelvedere in 1892,Jacinto Vera in 1895 and Trouville in 1897. In 1894 the new port was constructed, and in 1897, theCentral Railway Station of Montevideo was inaugurated.[32][44]
In the early 20th century, many Europeans (particularly Spaniards and Italians but also thousands from Central Europe) immigrated to the city. In 1908, 30% of the city's population of 300,000 was foreign-born. In that decade the city expanded quickly: new neighborhoods were created and many separate settlements were annexed to the city, among which were theVilla del Cerro,Pocitos, thePrado andVilla Colón. TheRodó Park and theEstadio Gran Parque Central were also established, which served aspoles of urban development.[45]
During the early 20th century, Uruguay saw huge social changes with repercussions primarily in urban areas. Among these changes were the right to divorce (1907) andwomen's right to vote.[46]
The 1910s saw the construction of Montevideo'sRambla; strikes by tram workers, bakers and port workers; the inauguration of electric trams; the creation of theMunicipal Intendencias; and the inauguration of the new port.[47]
In 1913, the city limits were extended around the entire gulf. The previously independent localities of theVilla del Cerro andLa Teja were annexed to Montevideo, becoming two of its neighborhoods.[48]
During the 1920s, the equestrian statue of Artigas was installed inPlaza Independencia; thePalacio Legislativo was built; the SpanishPlus Ultra flying boat arrived (the first airplane to fly from Spain to Latin America, 1926); prominent politician and former presidentJosé Batlle y Ordóñez died (1929); and the ground was broken (1929) for theEstadio Centenario (completed 1930).[47]
During World War II, a famous incident involving theGerman cruiserAdmiral Graf Spee took place inPunta del Este, 200 kilometers (120 mi) from Montevideo. After theBattle of the River Plate with theRoyal Navy andRoyal New Zealand Navy on 13 December 1939, theGraf Spee retreated to Montevideo's port, which was considered neutral at the time. To avoid risking the crew in what he thought would be a losing battle, CaptainHans Langsdorffscuttled the ship on 17 December. Langsdorff committed suicide two days later. The eagle figurehead of theGraf Spee was salvaged on 10 February 2006.[49][50]
Uruguay began to stagnate economically in the mid-1950s; Montevideo began a decline, later exacerbated by widespread social and political violence beginning in 1968 (including the emergence of the guerrillaMovimiento de Liberación Nacional-Tupamaros[47]) and by theCivic-military dictatorship of Uruguay (1973-1985). There were major problems with supply; the immigration cycle was reversed.
From the 1960s to the end of the dictatorship in 1985, around one hundred people died ordisappeared because of political violence. In 1974 another hundred Uruguayans also disappeared in Argentina.[51] In 1980, the dictatorship proposed a new constitution. The project was submitted to areferendum and rejected in the first polls since 1971, with 58% of the votes against and 42% in favor. The result weakened the military and triggered its fall, allowing the return of democracy.[52]
In the 1980s, PopeJohn Paul II visited the city twice. In April 1987, as head of state ofVatican, he signed a mediation agreement for the conflict of theBeagle Channel.[53] He also held a large mass inTres Cruces, declaring the cross located behind the altar as a monument. In 1988, he returned to the country, visiting Montevideo,Florida,Salto andMelo.[53]
Montevideo has consistently been rated as having the highest quality of life of any city in Latin America:[54] by 2015[55][56] it held this rank every year during the decade through 2014.[15][16][17][18][19]
Map of Uruguay showing Montevideo on the Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil
Montevideo is situated on the north shore of the Río de la Plata, the arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the south coast of Uruguay from the north coast of Argentina; Buenos Aires lies 230 kilometers (140 mi) west on the Argentine side. TheSanta Lucía River forms a natural border between Montevideo andSan José Department to its west. To the city's north and east isCanelones Department, with the stream of Carrasco forming the eastern natural border. The coastline forming the city's southern border is interspersed with rocky protrusions and sandy beaches.[57] The Bay of Montevideo forms a natural harbor, the nation's largest and one of the largest in theSouthern Cone, and the finest natural port in the region, functioning as a crucial component of the Uruguayan economy and foreign trade. Various streams crisscross the town and empty into the Bay of Montevideo. Its coastline near the emptying rivers are heavily polluted.[58]
The city has an average elevation of 43 meters (141 ft). Its highest elevations are two hills: theCerro de Montevideo and the Cerro de la Victoria, with the highest point, the peak of Cerro de Montevideo, crowned by a fortress, theFortaleza del Cerro at a height of 134 m (440 ft).[59] Closest cities by road areLas Piedras to the north and the so-calledCiudad de la Costa (a conglomeration of coastal towns) to the east, both in the range of 20 to 25 km (16 mi) from the city center. The approximate distances to the neighboring department capitals by road are, 90 km (56 mi) toSan Jose de Mayo (San Jose Department) and 46 km (29 mi) to Canelones (Canelones Department).
Montevideo has aHumid subtropical climate (KöppenCfa) in a middle latitude, the city experiences the four seasons. It has cool winters (June to August), warm to hot summers (December to February), mild autumns (March to May) and volatile springs (September to November);[60] The climate is characterized by having mild temperatures, without harsh cold or extreme heat. There are numerous thunderstorms but no tropical cyclones. Rainfall is regular and evenly spread throughout the year, reaching around 950 millimeters (37 in).[61]
Winters are generally cool, wet, windy and overcast. The average temperature during this season is just above 10 °C (50 °F). Daytime temperatures are generally between 10 °C (50 °F) and 18 °C (64 °F), and night lows between 3 °C (37 °F) and 10 °C (50 °F). During this season, there are bursts of icy and relatively dry winds of continental polar air masses, giving an unpleasant chilly feeling to the everyday life of the city, with daytime temperatures around or below 8 °C (46 °F) and possible night frosts. These occur few times during winter, with temperatures generally not falling below −2 °C (28 °F) because of the oceanic influence that moderates the temperature; a few kilometres inland, frosts are more common and colder. On the other hand, even in the middle of winter it's not uncommon to have temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F) for a few days. Rainfall andsleet are a frequent winter occurrence, but snowfall is extremely rare: flurries have been recorded only four times but with no accumulation, the last one on 13 July 1930 during the inaugural match of theWorld Cup,[62] (the other three snowfalls were in 1850, 1853 and 1917); the alleged 1980Carrasco snowfall was actually ahailstorm.[63]
Summers are warm-hot and humid, with less wind than other seasons. The average temperature in this season is 23 °C (73 °F). Daytime temperatures are usually between 24 °C (75 °F) and 32 °C (90 °F), while night lows between 14 °C (57 °F) and 22 °C (72 °F). During this season, a moderate wind often blows from the sea in the evenings which has a pleasant cooling effect on the city, in contrast to the more severe summer heat of nearby cities likeBuenos Aires.[60] Heat waves come with the north winds, which bring humid and hot air masses from the tropical interior of the continent; temperatures can rise above 35 °C (95 °F). These warm periods are usually followed by thunderstorms, generated by cold fronts from the southwest that lowers temperatures considerably. This phenomenon is regional, and can occur several times all year long.
The autumn in Montevideo is quite pleasant and not so unstable. Daytime temperatures are in general around 20 °C (68 °F) and nights around 10 °C (50 °F).Spring average temperatures are very similar to the autumn, but the weather in that season tends to be more windy and volatile, with more dramatic changes in a short period of time.
Montevideo has an annual average temperature of 16.7 °C (62.1 °F). The lowest recorded temperature is −5.6 °C (21.9 °F) while the highest is 42.8 °C (109.0 °F).[64]
Climate data for Montevideo (Prado) 1991–2020, extremes 1901–2020
As of 2010[update], the city of Montevideo has been divided into 8 political municipalities (Municipios), referred to with letters from A to G, including CH, each presided over by a mayor elected by the citizens registered in the constituency. This division, according to the Municipality of Montevideo, "aims to advance political and administrative decentralization in the department of Montevideo, with the aim of deepening the democratic participation of citizens in governance."[69] The head of eachMunicipio is called analcalde or (if female)alcaldesa.[70]
Of much greater importance is the division of the city into 62barrios: neighborhoods or wards.[71] Many of the city'sbarrios—such asSayago,Ituzaingó andPocitos—were previously geographically separate settlements, later absorbed by the growth of the city. Others grew up around certain industrial sites, including thesalt-curing works ofVilla del Cerro and thetanneries inNuevo París. Eachbarrio has its own identity, geographic location and socio-cultural activities. A neighborhood of great significance is Ciudad Vieja, that was surrounded by a protective wall until 1829. This area contains most important buildings of the colonial era and early decades of independence.
ThePocitos district, near the beach of the same name, has many homes built by Bello and Reboratti between 1920 and 1940, with a mixture of styles. Other landmarks in Pocitos are the "Edificio Panamericano" designed by Raul Sichero,[73] and the "Positano" and "El Pilar" designed by Adolfo Sommer Smith andLuis García Pardo [es] in the 1950s and 1960s. However, the construction boom of the 1970s and 1980s transformed the face of this neighborhood, with a cluster of modern apartment buildings for upper and upper middle-class residents.[citation needed]
World Trade Center Montevideo officially opened in 1998, but work was completed in 2009. The complex is composed of three towers, two three-story buildings called World Trade Center Plaza and World Trade Center Avenue and a large central square called Towers Square. World Trade Center 1 was the first building to be inaugurated, in 1998.[citation needed] It has 22 floors and 17,100 square meters of space. That same year the avenue and the auditorium were raised. World Trade Center 2 was inaugurated in 2002, a twin tower of World Trade Center 1. Finally, in 2009, World Trade Center 3 and the World Trade Center Plaza and the Towers Square were inaugurated. It is located between the avenues Luis Alberto de Herrera and 26 de Marzo and has 19 floors and 27,000 square meters (290,000 sq ft) of space. The 6,300-square-meter (68,000 sq ft)[citation needed] World Trade Center Plaza is designed to be a center of gastronomy opposite Towers Square and Bonavita St.
The Towers Square, is an area of remarkable aesthetic design, intended to be a platform for the development of business activities, art exhibitions, dance and music performances and social places. This square connects the different buildings and towers which comprise the WTC Complex and it is the main access to the complex. The square contains various works of art, notably a sculpture by renowned Uruguayan sculptorPablo Atchugarry. World Trade Center 4, with 40 floors and 53,500 square meters (576,000 sq ft) of space is under construction as of 2010[update].[citation needed]
Torre de las Telecomunicaciones (Telecommunications Tower) or Torre Antel (Antel Tower) is the 158 meters (518 ft), 37-floor headquarters of Uruguay'sgovernment-owned telecommunications company,ANTEL, and is the tallest building in the country. It was designed by architectCarlos Ott. It is situated by the side of the Bay of Montevideo. The tower was completed byAmerican Bridge Company and other design/build consortium team members on 15 March 2000.
When its construction was announced, many politicians complained about its cost (US$40 million, plus US$25 million for the construction of the other 5 buildings of the Telecommunications Complex). Problems during its construction turned the original US$65 million price into US$102 million.
Headquarters of Alcohólicos Anónimos in Montevideo
Ciudad Vieja was the earliest part of the city to be developed and today it constitutes a prominentbarrio of southwest Montevideo. It contains many colonial buildings and national heritage sites, but also many banks, administrative offices, museums, art galleries, cultural institutions, restaurants and nightclubs, making it vibrant with life. Its northern coast is the main port of Uruguay, one of the few deep-draft ports in the Southern Cone of South America.
Plaza de la Constitución in winter.
Montevideo's most importantplaza isPlaza Independencia, located between Ciudad Vieja anddowntown Montevideo. It starts with theGateway of The Citadel at one end and ends at the beginning of18 de Julio Avenue. It is the remaining part of the wall that surrounded the oldest part of the city.[75] Several notable buildings are located here.
Solís Theatre.
TheSolís Theatre is Uruguay's oldest theater. It was built in 1856 and is owned by the government of Montevideo. In 1998, the government of Montevideo started a major reconstruction of the theater, which included two US$110,000 columns designed byPhilippe Starck. The reconstruction was completed in 2004, and the theater reopened in August of that year.[76] The plaza is also the site of the offices of thePresident of Uruguay (both theEstévez Palace and theExecutive Tower). TheArtigas Mausoleum is located at the center of the plaza. Statues include that ofJosé Gervasio Artigas, a hero of Uruguay's independence movement; an honor guard keeps vigil at the Mausoleum.[77]
Palacio Salvo, at the intersection of 18 de Julio Avenue and Plaza Independencia, was designed by the architectMario Palanti and completed in 1925. Palanti, an Italian immigrant living in Buenos Aires, used a similar design for hisPalacio Barolo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Palacio Salvo stands 100 meters (330 ft) high, including its antenna. It is built on the former site of the Confitería La Giralda, renowned for being whereGerardo Matos Rodríguez wrote his tango "La Cumparsita" (1917.)[78] Palacio Salvo was originally intended to function as a hotel but is now a mixture of offices and private residences.[79]
Also of major note in Ciudad Vieja is thePlaza de la Constitución (orPlaza Matriz). During the first decades of Uruguayan independence this square was the main hub of city life. On the square are theCabildo—the seat of colonial government—and theMontevideo Metropolitan Cathedral. The cathedral is the burial place ofFructuoso Rivera,Juan Antonio Lavalleja andVenancio Flores. Another notable square isPlaza Zabala with the equestrian statue ofBruno Mauricio de Zabala. On its south side,Palacio Taranco, once residence of the Ortiz Taranco brothers, is now the Museum of Decorative Arts. A few blocks northwest of Plaza Zabala is the Mercado del Puerto, another major tourist destination.
Parque Batlle[80] (formerly:Parque de los Aliados,[81] translation: "Park of the Allies") is a major public central park, located south ofAvenida Italia and north of Avenue Rivera. Along withParque Prado andParque Rodó it is one of three large parks that dominate Montevideo.[82] The park and surrounding area constitute one of the 62 neighborhoods (barrios) of the city. The barrio of Parque Batlle is one of seven coastal barrios, the others beingBuceo, Carrasco, Malvin,Pocitos, Punta Carretas, and Punta Gorda.[83] The barrio of Parque Battle includes four former districts: Belgrano, Italiano, Villa Dolores and Batlle Park itself and borders the neighborhoods ofLa Blanqueada,Tres Cruces, Pocitos and Buceo. It has a high population density and most of its households are of medium-high- or high-income.[84] Villa Dolores, a sub-district of Parque Batlle, took its name from the original villa of Don Alejo Rossell y Rius and of Doña Dolores Pereira de Rossel. On their grounds, they started a private collection of animals that became a zoological garden and was passed to the city in 1919;[85] in 1955 thePlanetarium of Montevideo was built within its premises.[86]
Parque Batlle is named in honor ofJosé Batlle y Ordóñez,President of Uruguay from 1911 to 1915.[87] The park was originally proposed by an Act of March 1907, which also projected wide boulevards and avenues.[88][89] French landscape architect,Carlos Thays, began the plantings in 1911. In 1918, the park was namedParque de los Aliados, following the victory of theAllies of World War I. On 5 May 1930, after significant expansion, it was again renamed as Parque Batlle y Ordóñez, in memory of the prominent politician and president, who had died in 1929.[88] The park was designated a National Historic Monument Park in 1975.[87][88] As of 2010[update], the park covers an area of 60 hectares (150 acres) and is considered the "lung" of the Montevideo city due to the large variety of trees planted here.[88][better source needed]
TheEstadio Centenario, the national football stadium, opened in 1930 for the firstWorld Cup, and later hosted several other sporting grounds of note (seeSports).
In 1934, sculptorJosé Belloni's "La Carreta", a bronze monument on granite base,[90] was installed on Avenida Lorenzo Merola near Estadio Centenario. One of several statues in the park, it depictsyoked oxen pulling a loaded wagon.[91] It was designated a national monument in 1976.[90] Another statue on the same side of the park is a bronze copy of theDiscobolus of Myron.
On the west side of Parque Batlle, onArtigas Boulevard, the 1938Obelisk of Montevideo is a monument dedicated to those who created the first Constitution. The work of sculptorJosé Luis Zorrilla de San Martín (1891–1975), it is a three-sided granite obelisk, 40 meters (130 ft) tall, with bronze statues on its three sides, representing "Law", "Liberty", and "Force", respectively. It has been a National Heritage Site since 1976.[92]
Bridge over the Miguelete stream in the Prado Park.
Established in 1873, the largest of Montevideo's six main public parks is the 1.06-square-kilometre (260-acre)Parque Prado.[93] Located in the northern part of the city, the Miguelete Creek flows through the park and the neighborhood and of the same name. It is surrounded by the avenues Agraciada, Obes Lucas, Joaquín Suárez, Luis Alberto de Herrera and by the streets Castro and José María Reyes.
The most frequented areas of the park are theRosedal, a public rose garden withpergolas, the Botanical Garden, the area around the Hotel del Prado, as well as theRural del Prado, a seasonal cattle and farm animal fairground. The Rosedal contains four pergolas, eight domes, and a fountain; its 12,000 roses were imported from France in 1910.[94] There are several jogging paths along the Miguelete river.
The Presidential Residence is located behind the Botanical Gardens. Established in 1930,Juan Manuel Blanes Museum is situated in thePalladian villa, a National Heritage Site since 1975, and includes a Japanese garden.[95] The Professor Atilio Lombardo Museum and Botanical Gardens were established in 1902. The National Institute of Physical Climatology and its observatory are also in the Prado.[96]
Parque Rodó is both abarrio (neighborhood) of Montevideo and a park which lies mostly outside the limits of the neighborhood itself and belongs toPunta Carretas. The name "Rodó" commemorates José Enrique Rodó, an important Uruguayan writer whose monument is in the southern side of the main park. The park was conceived as a French-style city park.[97] Apart from the main park area which is delimited by Sarmiento Avenue to the south, Parque Rodó includes an amusement park; theEstadio Luis Franzini, belonging to Defensor Sporting; the front lawn of the Faculty of Engineering and a strip west of theClub de Golf de Punta Carretas that includes theCanteras ("quarry")del Parque Rodó, theTeatro de Verano ("summer theatre") and theLago ("lake")del Parque Rodó.[98]
Faculty of Engineering located in Parque Rodó.
On the east side of the main park area is the National Museum of Visual Arts. On this side, a street market takes place every Sunday. On the north side is an artificial lake with a little castle housing a municipal library for children. An area to its west is used as an open-air exhibition of photography. West of the park, across the coastal avenue Rambla Presidente Wilson, stretches Ramirez Beach. Directly west of the main park area, and belonging to Parque Rodóbarrio, there is the formerParque Hotel, now calledEdifício Mercosur, the seat of the parliament of the member countries of theMercosur.[99] During the guerilla war theTupamaros frequently attacked buildings in this area, including the old hotel.[100]
The first set of subsidiary forts was planned by the Portuguese at Montevideo in 1701 to establish a front-line base to stop frequent insurrections by the Spaniards emanating from Buenos Aires. These fortifications were planned within the River Plate estuary atColonia del Sacramento. However, this plan came to fruition only in November 1723, when Captain Manuel Henriques de Noronha reached the shores of Montevideo with soldiers, guns and colonists on his warshipNossa Senhora de Oliveara. They built a small square fortification. However, under siege from forces from Buenos Aires, the Portuguese withdrew from Montevideo Bay in January 1724, after signing an agreement with the Spaniards.[101]
Fortaleza del Cerro overlooks the bay of Montevideo. An observation post at this location was first built by the Spanish in the late 18th century. In 1802, a beacon replaced the observation post; construction of the fortress began in 1809 and was completed in 1839.[59] It has been involved in many historical developments and has been repeatedly taken over by various sides. In 1907, the old beacon was replaced with a stronger electric one. It has been a National Monument since 1931[102] and has housed a military museum since 1916.[59] Today it is one of the tourist attractions of Montevideo.
Punta Brava Lighthouse (Faro Punta Brava), also known as Punta Carretas Lighthouse, was erected in 1876. The lighthouse is 21 meters (69 ft) high and its light reaches 24 km (15 mi) away, with a flash every ten seconds.[103] In 1962, the lighthouse became electric. The lighthouse is important for guiding boats into the Banco Inglés Buceo Port or the entrance of the Santa Lucía River.
TheRambla is an avenue that goes along the entirecoastline of Montevideo. The literal meaning of the Spanish wordrambla is "avenue" or "watercourse", but in the Americas it is mostly used as "coastal avenue", and since all the southerndepartments of Uruguay border either the Río de la Plata or the Atlantic Ocean, they all haveramblas as well. As an integral part of Montevidean identity, the Rambla has been included by Uruguay in the Indicative List ofWorld Heritage sites,[104] though it has not received this status. Previously, the entire Rambla was calledRambla Naciones Unidas ("United Nations"), but in recent times different names have been given to specific parts of it.
The Rambla is a very important site for recreation and leisure in Montevideo. Every day, a large number of people go there to take long strolls, jog, bicycle, roller skate, fish and even—in a special area—skateboard. Its 27-kilometer (17 mi) length makes it one of the longest esplanades in the world.[105]
Montevideo is noted for its beaches, which are particularly important because 60% of the population spends the summer in the city.[105] Its best-known beaches are Ramírez,Pocitos,Carrasco,Buceo andMalvín. Further east and west are other beaches including the Colorada, Punta Espinillo, Punta Yeguas, Zabala and Santa Catarina.
The other large cemeteries are theCementerio del Buceo,Cementerio del Cerro, andCementerio Paso Molino.The British Cemetery Montevideo (Cementerio Británico) is another of the oldest cemeteries in Uruguay, located in theBuceo neighborhood. Manynoblemen and eminent persons are buried there. The cemetery originated when the Englishman Thomas Samuel Hood purchased a plot of land in the name of the English residents in 1828. However, in 1884 the government compensated the British by moving the cemetery to Buceo to accommodate city growth. A section of the cemetery, known asBritish Cemetery Montevideo Soldiers and Sailors, contains the graves of quite a number of sailors of different nationalities, although the majority are of British descent. OneUnited States Marine, Henry de Costa, is buried here.[108]
In 1860, Montevideo had 57,913 inhabitants including a number of people ofAfrican origin who had been brought as slaves and had gained their freedom around the middle of the century. By 1880, the population had quadrupled, mainly because of the great European immigration. In 1908, its population had grown massively to 309,331 inhabitants.[109] In the course of the 20th century the city continued to receive large numbers of European immigrants, especially Spanish andItalian, followed by Portuguese Brazilians,French, Germans, English, Irish, Swiss, Austrians, Poles, Dutch,Greek, Hungarians, Russians, Croats,Lebanese,Armenians, and Jews of various origins.[110] The last wave of immigrants occurred between 1945 and 1955.[32]
According to the census survey carried out between 15 June and 31 July 2004, Montevideo had a population of 1,325,968 persons, compared to Uruguay's total population of 3,241,003. The female population was 707,697 (53.4%) while the male population accounted for 618,271 (46.6%). The population had declined since the previous census carried out in 1996, with an average annual growth rate of −1.5 per thousand. The continual decline has been documented since the census period of 1975–1985, which showed a rate of −5.6 per thousand. The decrease is due in large part to lowered fertility, partly offset by mortality, and to a smaller degree in migration. The birth rate declined by 19% from 1996 (17 per thousand) to 2004 (13.8 per thousand). Similarly, the total fertility rate (TFR) declined from 2.24 in 1996 to 1.79 in 2004. However, mortality continued to fall withlife expectancy at birth for both sexes increasing by 1.73 years.[111]
In the census of 2011, Montevideo had a population of 1,319,108.[12]
The Intendancy of Montevideo was first created by a legal act of 18 December 1908.[112] The municipality's first mayor (1909–1911) was Daniel Muñoz. Municipalities were abolished by theUruguayan Constitution of 1918, effectively restored during the 1933 military coup ofGabriel Terra, and formally restored by the1934 Constitution. The1952 Constitution again decided to abolish the municipalities; it came into effect in February 1955. Municipalities were replaced by departmental councils, which consisted of a collegiate executive board with 7 members from Montevideo and 5 from the interior region. However, municipalities were revived under the 1967 Constitution and have operated continuously since that time.
Since 1990, Montevideo has been partially decentralized into 18 areas; administration and services for each area is provided by its Zonal Community Center (Centro Comunal Zonal, CCZ), which is subordinate to the Intendancy of Montevideo.[113][114] The boundaries of the municipal districts of Montevideo were created on 12 July 1993, and successively amended on 19 October 1993, 6 June 1994 and 10 November 1994. In 2010, the city CCZ were abolished and eight municipalities were created instead.
The city government of Montevideo performs several functions, including maintaining communications with the public, promoting culture, organizing society, caring for the environment and regulating traffic. The city hall is thePalacio Municipal on 18 de Julio Avenue in theCentro area of Montevideo.[115]
The legislative branch of government, the Junta Departamental, or the Congress of Montevideo, governs theDepartment of Montevideo. The Junta, composed of 31 unsalaried elected members, is responsible for such things as the freedom of the citizens, the regulation of cultural activities, the naming of streets and public places, and the placement of monuments; it also responds to proposals of the Intendant in various circumstances.[116] Its seat is the architecturally remarkable Casa de Francisco Gómez in Ciudad Vieja.[116]
A 2016 private ranking namedSubnational Legislative Online Opening Index measured the data availability in official websites, scoring Montevideo as the second most open district nationally at 17.50 points.[117]
In recent years Montevideo nightlife has moved to Parque Rodó, where a large concentration of buildings cater for the recreational interests of young people during the night time. Under a presidential decree which went into effect on 1 March 2006,smoking is prohibited in any public place with roofing,[118] and there is a prohibition on the sale of alcohol in certain businesses from 21.00 to 9.00.[failed verification]
Montevideo has a very rich architectural heritage and a number of writers, artists, and musicians. Uruguayan tango is a unique form of dance that originated in the neighborhoods of Montevideo towards the end of the 1800s.Tango,candombe andmurga are the three main styles of music in this city. The city is also the center of thecinema of Uruguay, which includes commercial, documentary and experimental films. There are two movie theater companies running seven cinemas,[121][122] around ten independent ones[123] and four art film cinemas in the city.[124] The theater of Uruguay is admired inside and outside Uruguayan borders. TheSolís Theatre is the most prominent theater in Uruguay and the oldest in South America.[125] There are several notable theatrical companies and thousands of professional actors and amateurs. Montevideo playwrights produce dozens of works each year; of major note areMauricio Rosencof,Ana Magnabosco [es] andRicardo Prieto [es].
The daily newspaperEl País sponsors the Virtual Museum of Contemporary Uruguayan Art. The director and curator of the Museum presents exhibitions in "virtual spaces, supplemented by information, biographies, texts in English and Spanish".[126]
In the early 1970s (1973, to be particular) when the military junta took over power in Uruguay, art suffered in Montevideo. The art studios went into protest mode, withRimer Cardillo, one of the country's leading artists, making the National Institute of Fine Arts, Montevideo a "hotbed of resistance". This resulted in the military junta coming down heavily on artists by closing the Fine Art Institute and carting away all the presses and other studio equipment. Consequently, the learning of fine arts was only in private studios run by people who had been let out of jail, in works of printing and on paper and also painting and sculpture. It resumed much later.[127]
The first public library in Montevideo was formed by the initial donation of the private library of Father José Manuel Pérez Castellano, who died in 1815. Its promoter, director and organizer was FatherDámaso Antonio Larrañaga, who also made a considerable donation along with donations from José Raimundo Guerra, as well as others from the Convent of San Francisco inSalta.[128] In 1816 its stock was 5,000 volumes.[129] The building of theNational Library of Uruguay (Biblioteca Pública de Uruguay) was designed by Luis Crespi in theNeoclassical style and occupies an area of 4,000 square meters (43,000 sq ft). Construction began in 1926 and it was inaugurated in 1964. Its collection amounts to 900,000 volumes.[130][131]
The city has a long and rich literary tradition. AlthoughUruguayan literature is not limited to the authors of the capital (Horacio Quiroga was born inSalto andMario Benedetti inPaso de los Toros, for instance), Montevideo has been and is the center of the editorial and creative activity of literature.
A new generation of writers has become known internationally in recent years. These include Eduardo Espina (essayist and poet),Fernando Butazzoni (novelist),Rafael Courtoisie [es] (poet) andHugo Burel (short story writer and novelist).
In Montevideo, as throughout the Rio de Plata region, the most popular forms of music aretango,milonga andvals criollo. Many notable songs originated in Montevideo including "El Tango supremo", "La Cumparsita", "La Milonga", "La Puñalada" and "Desde el Alma", composed by notable Montevideo musicians such asGerardo Matos Rodríguez,Pintín Castellanos andRosita Melo.[134] Tango is deeply ingrained in the cultural life of the city and is the theme for many of the bars and restaurants in the city. 20th. century composers like three-timeGrammy nominatedMiguel del Aguila have taken Uruguayan tango to international classical music audiences.Fun Fun' Bar, established in 1935, is one of the most important places for tango in Uruguay as isEl Farolito, located in the old part of the city andJoventango,Café Las Musas,Garufa andVieja Viola.[134] The city is also home to the Montevideo Jazz Festival and has the Bancaria Jazz Club bar catering for jazz enthusiasts.
The center of traditional Uruguayan food and beverage in Montevideo is the Mercado del Puerto ("Port Market"). Beef is very important in Uruguayan cuisine and an essential part of many dishes. Atorta frita is a pan-fried cake consumed in Montevideo and throughout Uruguay. It is generally circular, with a small cut in the center for cooking, and is made from wheat flour, yeast, water and sugar or salt.[135] Montevideo has a variety of restaurants, from traditionalUruguayan cuisine toJapanese cuisine.
TheMontevideo Cabildo was theseat of government during the colonial times of theViceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. It is located in front ofConstitution Square, in Ciudad Vieja.[74] Built between 1804 and 1869 in Neoclassical style, with a series ofDoric andIonic columns, it became a National Heritage Site in 1975. In 1958, the Municipal Historic Museum and Archive was inaugurated here. It features three permanentcity museum exhibitions, as well as temporary art exhibitions, cultural events, seminars, symposiums and forums.[137]
Uruguayan officials conversing at a meeting at the Palacio Taranco, 6 November 2010
ThePalacio Taranco is located in front of thePlaza Zabala, in the heart of Ciudad Vieja. It was erected in the early 20th century as the residence of the Ortiz Taranco brothers on the ruins of Montevideo's first theater (of 1793), during a period in which the architectural style was influenced by French architecture. The palace was designed by French architectsCharles Louis Girault andJules-Léon Chifflot [fr] who also designed thePetit Palais and theArc de Triomphe in Paris. It passed to the city from the heirs of the Tarancos in 1943, along with its precious collection of Uruguayan furniture and draperies and was deemed by the city as an ideal place for a museum; in 1972 it became the Museum of Decorative Arts of Montevideo and in 1975 it became a National Heritage Site.[138][139] The Decorative Arts Museum has an important collection of European paintings and decorative arts, ancientGreek andRoman art and Islamicceramics of the 10th–18th century from the area of present-day Iran.[126] The palace is often used as a meeting place by the Uruguayan government.
Museo Historico Nacional de Montevideo
The National History Museum of Montevideo is located in the historical residence of GeneralFructuoso Rivera. It exhibits artifacts related to the history of Uruguay.[74] In a process begun in 1998, the National Museum of Natural History (1837) and the National Museum of Anthropology (1981), merged in 2001, becoming the National Museum of Natural History and Anthropology. In July 2009, the two institutions again became independent.[140] The Historical Museum has annexed eight historical houses in the city, five of which are located in the Ciudad Vieja. One of them, on the same block with the main building, is the historic residence of Antonio Montero, which houses the Museo Romantico.[141] Also nearby is the Museo Casa de José Garibaldi whereGiuseppe Garibaldi lived in the 1840s while participating in theUruguayan Civil War.[142]
Museo Torres García
TheMuseo Torres García is located in the Old Town, and exhibitsJoaquín Torres García's unusual portraits of historical icons andcubist paintings akin to those ofPicasso andBraque.[143] The museum was established by Manolita Piña Torres, the widow of Torres Garcia, after his death in 1949. She also set up the García Torres Foundation, a private non-profit organization that organizes the paintings, drawings, original writings, archives, objects and furniture designed by the painter as well as the photographs, magazines and publications related to him.[144]
There are several other important art museums in Montevideo. TheCentro de Fotografía de Montevideo (CdF) is a museum, archive, and gallery for historic and contemporary photography with twelve outdoor exhibition spaces in various Montevideo neighborhoods as well as four galleries in its downtown headquarters. TheNational Museum of Visual Arts in Parque Rodó has Uruguay's largest collection of paintings.[77][126] TheJuan Manuel Blanes Museum was founded in 1930, the 100th anniversary of the firstConstitution of Uruguay, significant with regard to the fact thatJuan Manuel Blanes painted Uruguayan patriotic themes. In the back of the museum is a Japanese Garden with a pond where there are over a hundredcarp.[145] The Museo de Historia del Arte, located in the Palacio Municipal, features replicas of ancient monuments and exhibits a varied collection of artifacts from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, Rome and Native American cultures including local finds of the pre-Columbian period.[146] The Museo Municipal Precolombino y Colonial, in the Ciudad Vieja, has preserved collections of the archeological finds from excavations carried out by Uruguayan archeologist Antonio Taddei. These antiquaries are exhibits of pre-Columbian art of Latin America, painting and sculpture from the 17th and 18th century mostly from Mexico,Peru and Brazil.[126] The Museo de Arte Contempo has small exhibits of modern Uruguayan painting and sculpture.[77]
There are also other types of museums in the city. The Museo del Gaucho y de la Moneda, located in the Centro, has distinctive displays of the historical culture of Uruguay'sgauchos, their horse gear, silver work andmate (tea), gourds, andbombillas (drinking straws) in odd designs.[77] The Museo Naval, is located on the eastern waterfront in Buceo and offers exhibits depicting the maritime history of Uruguay.[77] The Museo del Automóvil, belonging to the Automobile Club of Uruguay, has a rich collection of vintage cars which includes a 1910Hupmobile.[147] The Museo y Parque Fernando García in Carrasco, a transport and automobile museum, includes old horse carriages and some early automobiles.[148] The Castillo Pittamiglio, with an unusual façade, highlights the eccentric legacy of Humberto Pittamiglio, local alchemist and architect.[77]
As the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo is home to a number of festivals and carnivals including a Gaucho festival when people ride through the streets on horseback in traditional gaucho gear. The major annual festival is the annualMontevideo Carnival which is part of the national festival of Carnival Week, celebrated throughout Uruguay, with central activities in the capital, Montevideo. Officially, the public holiday lasts for two days on Carnival Monday andShrove Tuesday precedingAsh Wednesday, but due to the prominence of the festival, most shops and businesses close for the entire week.[149]During carnival there are many open-air stage performances and competitions and the streets and houses are vibrantly decorated. "Tablados" or popular scenes, both fixed and movable, are erected in the whole city.[149] Notable displays include "Desfile de las Llamadas" ("Parade of the Calls"), which is a grand united parade held on the south part of downtown, where it used to be a common ritual back in the early 20th century.[149] Due to the scale of the festival, preparation begins as early as December with an election of the "zonal beauty queens" to appear in the carnival.[149]
Estadio Centenario, the nationalfootball stadium inParque Batlle, was opened in 1930 for the firstWorld Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial ofUruguay's first constitution. In this World Cup, Uruguay won the title game against Argentina by 4 goals to 2.[150] The stadium has 70,000 seats.[91] It is listed byFIFA as one of the football world's classic stadiums, along withMaracanã,Wembley Stadium,San Siro,Estadio Azteca, andSantiago Bernabéu Stadium.[151] A museum located within the football stadium has exhibits of memorabilia from Uruguay's 1930 and 1950 World Cup championships. Museum tickets give access to the stadium, stands, locker rooms and playing field.[77]
Between 1935 and 1938, the athletics track and the municipalvelodrome were completed within Parque Batlle. The Tabaré Athletic Club is occasionally made over as a carnival theater using impermanent materials.[152][153]
TheUruguayan Basketball League is headquartered in Montevideo and most of its teams are from the city, includingDefensor Sporting,Biguá,Atlético Aguada,Goes,Malvín,Unión Atlética [es], andTrouville. Montevideo is also a center ofrugby;equestrianism, which regained importance in Montevideo after theMaroñas Racecourse reopened; golf, with the Club de Punta Carretas; and yachting, with thePuerto del Buceo, an ideal place to moor yachts. The Golf Club of Punta Carretas was founded in 1894 covers all the area encircled by the west side of Bulevar Artigas, the Rambla (Montevideo's promenade) and the Parque Rodó (Fun Fair).[103]
Other religious faiths in Montevideo areProtestantism,Umbanda,Judaism, and there are many people who define themselves asAtheists andAgnostics, while others profess "believing in God but without religion".[156]
The Montevideo Metropolitan Cathedral is the main Roman Catholic church of Montevideo. It is located in Ciudad Vieja, immediately acrossConstitution Square from theCabildo. In 1740 a brick church was built on the site. In 1790, the foundation was laid for the current neoclassical structure. The church was consecrated in 1804.[74] Bicentennial celebrations were held in 2004.
In 1897,Pope Leo XIII elevated the church to Metropolitan Cathedral status. Important ceremonies are conducted under the direction of the Archbishop of Montevideo. Weddings and choral concerts are held here and the parish priest conducts the routine functions of the cathedral. In the 19th century, its precincts were also used as a burial place of famous people who died in the city. For decades, the prison and the nearbyPunta Carretas parish church were the only major buildings in the neighborhood.
Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Corazón ("Our Lady of the Sacred Heart"), also known as Iglesia Punta Carretas ("Punta Carretas Church"), was built between 1917 and 1927 in the Romanesque Revival style. The church was originally part of theOrder of Friars Minor Capuchin, but is presently in the parish of the Ecclesiastic Curia. Its location is at the corner of Solano García and José Ellauri. It has a nave and aisles. The roof has many vaults. During the construction of the Punta Carretas Shopping complex, major cracks developed in the structure of the church as a result of differential foundation settlement.[103][157]
As the capital of Uruguay, Montevideo is the economic and political center of the country. Most of the largest and wealthiest businesses in Uruguay have their headquarters in the city. Since the 1990s the city has undergone rapid economic development and modernization, including two of Uruguay's most important buildings—theWorld Trade Center Montevideo (1998),[158] andTelecommunications Tower (2000), the headquarters of Uruguay's government-owned telecommunications companyANTEL, increasing the city's integration into the global marketplace.[159]
ThePort of Montevideo, in the northern part of Ciudad Vieja, is one of the major ports of South America and plays a very important role in the city's economy.[160][161] The port has been growing rapidly and consistently at an average annual rate of 14 percent due to an increase in foreign trade. The city has received a US$20 million loan from theInter-American Development Bank to modernize the port, increase its size and efficiency, and enable lower maritime and river transportation costs.[162]
The most important state-owned companies headquartered in Montevideo are:AFE (railways),[163]ANCAP (Energy),[164] Administracion Nacional de Puertos (Ports),ANTEL (telecommunications),[165]BHU (savings and loan),[166]BROU (bank),[167] BSE (insurance),[168] OSE (water & sewage),[169]UTE (electricity).[170] These companies operate under public law, using a legal entity defined in the Uruguayan Constitution calledEnte Autonomo ("autonomous entity"). The government also owns part of other companies operating under private law, such as those owned wholly or partially by the CND (National Development Corporation).
Banking has traditionally been one of the strongest service export sectors in Uruguay: the country was once dubbed "the Switzerland of America",[171] mainly for its banking sector and stability, although that stability has been threatened in the 21st century by the recent global economic climate.[172] The largest bank in Uruguay is Banco Republica (BROU), based in Montevideo.[173] 9 private banks, most of them branches of international banks, operate in the country (Banco Santander,BBVA,ABN AMRO,Citibank, among others). There are also a myriad of brokers and financial-services bureaus, among them Ficus Capital, Galfin Sociedad de Bolsa, Europa Sociedad de Bolsa, Darío Cukier, GBU, Hordeñana & Asociados Sociedad de Bolsa, etc.
Tourism accounts for much of Uruguay's economy. Tourism in Montevideo is centered in the Ciudad Vieja area, which includes the city's oldest buildings, several museums, art galleries, and nightclubs, withSarandí Street and the Mercado del Puerto being the most frequented venues of the old city.[174] On the edge of Ciudad Vieja,Plaza Independencia is surrounded by many sights, including theSolís Theatre and thePalacio Salvo; the plaza also constitutes one end of18 de Julio Avenue, the city's most important tourist destination outside of Ciudad Vieja. Apart from being a shopping street, the avenue is noted for itsArt Deco buildings,[175] three important public squares, the Gaucho Museum, thePalacio Municipal and many other sights. The avenue leads to theObelisk of Montevideo; beyond that isParque Batlle, which along with theParque Prado is another important tourist destination.[176] Along the coast, theFortaleza del Cerro, theRambla (the coastal avenue), 13 kilometers (8.1 mi) of sandy beaches,[177] andPunta Gorda attract many tourists, as do theBarrio Sur andPalermobarrios.[178]
TheMinistry of Tourism offers a two-and-a-half-hour city tour[179] and the Montevideo Tourist Guide Association offers guided tours in English, Italian, Portuguese and German.[180] Apart from these, many private companies offer organized city tours.
Most tourists to the city come from Argentina, Brazil and Europe, with the number of visitors from elsewhere in Latin America and from the United States growing every year, thanks to an increasing number of international airline arrivals atCarrasco International Airport as well as cruises and ferries that arrive into the port of Montevideo.
Montevideo is the heartland of retailing in Uruguay. The city has become the principal center of business and real estate, including many expensive buildings and modern towers for residences and offices, surrounded by extensive green spaces. In 1985, the first shopping center in Rio de la Plata,Montevideo Shopping was built.[181] In 1994, with the building of three more shopping complexes such as theShopping Tres Cruces,Portones Shopping, andPunta Carretas Shopping, the business map of the city changed dramatically. The creation of shopping complexes brought a major change in the habits of the people of Montevideo. Global firms such asMcDonald's andBurger King etc. are firmly established in Montevideo. In 2013Nuevocentro Shopping, a shopping mall located in theJacinto Vera neighborhood, was inaugurated.[182]
Portones shopping center.
Apart from the big shopping complexes, the main retailing venues of the city are: most of 18 de Julio Avenue in theCentro andCordónbarrios, a length of Agraciada Avenue in the Paso de Molino area ofBelvedere, a length of Arenal Grande St. and the
Out of the 100 radio stations found in Uruguay, 40 of them are in Montevideo. The city has a vibrant artistic and literary community. The press enjoyed full freedom until the advent of theCivic-military dictatorship (1973–1985); this freedom returned on 1 March 1985, as part of the restoration of democracy.
Bus of CUTCSA, the largest bus company in Montevideo.
The city and itsmetropolitan area have a bus transportation network, theSistema Mets acronym. It covers urban and interurban services within the Metropolitan Area and is administered by the municipal government together with theMinistry of Transport and Public Works. The Baltasar Brum Terminal located inCiudad Vieja, is the main urban bus station.[186] However, there are numerous interchanges and terminals distributed in both the city and the metropolitan area.
The livery of most Montevideo taxis features white on the sides, along with a yellow band, as well as yellow on the top of the car. To determine the rate they use a taximeter, which will determine the price depending on the distance traveled. All taxis accept cash, although it is also common that a passenger can pay with a credit card.[187]
TheState Railways Administration of Uruguay (AFE) operates three commuter rail lines, namely the Empalme Olmos, San Jose and Florida. These lines operate to major suburban areas ofCanelones,San José andFlorida. Within the Montevideo city limits, local trains stop atLorenzo Carnelli, Yatai (Step Mill),Sayago, Colón (line to San Jose and Florida),Peñarol andManga (line Empalme Olmos) stations. The historic 19th centuryGeneral Artigas Central Station located in thebarrioAguada, six blocks from the central business district, was abandoned 1 March 2003 and remains closed.[188][189] A new station, 500 meters (1,600 ft) north of the old one and part of theTelecommunications Tower modern complex, has taken over the rail traffic.[190]
The train service is currently suspended for works related to the modernization of the railway system until mid-2023 when the work will end.[13][23][needs update]
TheTres Cruces bus station is the main bus terminal in Uruguay, serving long-distance buses that travel into Montevideo, from other parts of the country and abroad. Inaugurated in 1994, it serves more than 12 million passengers per year.[191][192]
Companies operating at Tres Cruces bus station: Agencia central, Bruno, Copsa, Cromin, Cynsa, Copay, Cot, Cut, Corporacion, Cita, Cauvi, Colonia Express, El Condor, El Norteño, Ega, Expreso Chago, Expreso Minuano, Intertur, Nossar, Nuñez, Rutas del sol, TTL, Turil, Turismar, etc.
Montevideo is also served by aferry system operated by the companyBuquebus that connects the port withBuenos Aires. More than 2.2 million people per year travel between Argentina and Uruguay with Buquebus. One of these ships is acatamaran, which can reach a top speed of about 80 km/h (50 mph).[197]
Port of Montevideo
The port on Montevideo Bay is one of the reasons the city was founded. It gives natural protection to ships, although two jetties now further protect the harbor entrance from waves. This natural port is competitive with the other great port of Río de la Plata, Buenos Aires.[198]
The main engineering work on the port occurred between the years 1870 and 1930. These six decades saw the construction of the port's first wooden pier, several warehouses in La Aguada, the north and south Rambla, a river port, a new pier, the dredged river basin and theLa Teja Refinery. A major storm in 1923 necessitated repairs to many of the city's engineering works.[48] Since the second half of the 20th century, until the 21st century, physical changes had ceased, and since that time the area had degraded due to national economic stagnation.[48]
The port's proximity has contributed to the installation of various industries in the area surrounding the bay, particularly import/export businesses and other business related to port and naval activity. The density of industrial development in the area surrounding the port has kept its popularity as a residential area relatively low despite its centrality. The main environmental problems are subaquatic sedimentation and air and water contamination.[48]
Every year more than one hundred cruises arrive, bringing tourists to Montevideo by public or private tours.[199]
The city has bicycle circuits inCiudad Vieja,Artigas Boulevard andCentro as well as with good facilities for cyclists such as bike paths andbike racks throughout the city.[200] In 2013 the "South Bicicircuito" was also inaugurated, which connects several of the dependent faculties of the University of the Republic.[201] There are more than 100 bike stations in the city.[202] In 2014, abicycle sharing system calledMovete was launched.[203]
The process of founding the country's public university began on 11 June 1833 with the passage of a law proposed by Senator Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga. It called for the creation of nine academic departments; the President of the Republic would pass a decree formally creating the departments once the majority of them were in operation. In 1836, the House of General Studies was formed, housing the departments of Latin, philosophy, mathematics, theology and jurisprudence. On 27 May 1838,Manuel Oribe passed a decree establishing the Greater University of the Republic.[205] That decree had few practical effects, given the institutional instability of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay at that time.
Kindergarten kids at a public school in Montevideo
The largest private university in Uruguay,[206] is also located in Montevideo.ORT Uruguay was first established as a non-profit organization in 1942, and was officially certified as a private university in September 1996, becoming the second private educational institution in the country to achieve that status.[citation needed] It is a member ofWorld ORT, an international educational network founded in 1880 by the Jewish community inSaint Petersburg, Russia.[207]The university has about 8,000 students, distributed among 5 faculties and institutes, mainly geared towards the sciences and technology/engineering. Its rector as of 2010[update] is Dr. Jorge A. Grünberg.
Another private university in Uruguay is theUniversity of Montevideo (Spanish: Universidad de Montevideo, short: UM). It opened in 1986 and obtained the right to be legally named auniversity in 1997. With its seven schools the UM has facilities all over Montevideo. The Universidad de Montevideo also holds more than 250 partnerships with other universities in 47 countries. Since 2019 is the university ranked in the Top 500 in the world by theQS World University Rankings (QSWUR).[208]
The MontevideoCrandon Institute is an American School of missionary origin and the mainMethodist educational institution in Uruguay. Founded in 1879 and supported by the Women's Society of the Methodist Church of the United States, it is one of the most traditional and emblematic institutions in the city inculcatingJohn Wesley's values. Its alumni include presidents, senators, ambassadors and Nobel Prize winners[citation needed], along with musicians, scientists, and others. The Montevideo Crandon Institute boasts of being the first academic institution in South America where ahome economics course was taught.[209][210]
A laundress girl in a school play in Montevideo
TheChristian Brothers of IrelandStella Maris College is a private,co-educational,not-for-profit Catholic school located in the wealthy residential southeastern neighborhood ofCarrasco. Established in 1955, it is regarded as one of the best high schools in the country, blending a rigorous curriculum with strong extracurricular activities.[211] The school's headmaster, history professor Juan Pedro Toni, is a member of the Stella Maris Board of Governors and the school is a member of theInternational Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Its long list of distinguished former pupils includes economists, engineers, architects, lawyers, politicians and evenF1 champions. The school has also played an important part in the development ofrugby union in Uruguay, with the creation ofOld Christians Club, the school'salumni club.
Also in Carrasco isThe British Schools of Montevideo, one of the oldest educational institutions in the country, founded in 1908 with "the object of giving children a complete education, both intellectual and moral, based upon the ideas and principles of the best schools in The British Isles".[212] The School is governed by the Board of Governors, elected by the British Schools Society in Uruguay, whose honorary president is the British Ambassador to Uruguay. Prominent alumni include presidentLuis Lacalle Pou and former government ministersPedro Bordaberry andGabriel Gurméndez Armand-Ugon.
Located in Cordon, St.Brendan's school, previously named St.Catherine's is a non-profit civil association, which has a solid institutional culture with a clear vision of the future. It is known for being one of the best schools in the country, joining students from the wealthiest parts of Montevideo, such as, Punta Carretas, Pocitos, Malvin and Carrasco.St. Brendan's School is a bilingual, non-denominational school that promotes a pedagogical constructivist approach focused on the child as a whole. In this approach, understanding is built from the connections children make between their own prior knowledge and the learning experiences, thus developing critical thinking skills. It is also the only school in the country implementing the threeInternational Baccalaureate Programmes. These are:
Diploma Program – Pre-University course for students aged 16 to 19. The Diploma Program is a two-year curriculum.
MYP -Middle Years Program. For students aged 12 to 16.
PYP – Primary Years Program. For students aged 3 to 12.
In Montevideo, as elsewhere in the country, there are both public and private health services. In both sectors, medical services are provided bypolyclinics and hospitals or sanatorios. The termhospital is used here for both outpatient and inpatient facilities, whilesanatorio is used for private short- and long-term facilities for the treatment of illnesses.
Hospital de Clínicas "Dr. Manuel Quintela" is a University Hospital attached to theUniversity of the Republic, and is located onAvenida Italia. It functions as an adult general polyclinic and hospital. The building was designed by architect Carlos Surraco in 1928–1929 and has a surface area of 110,000 square meters (1,200,000 sq ft) on 23 floors. The hospital was inaugurated 21 September 1953. For many years it was led by Dr.Hugo Villar, who was a considerable influence on the institution.
Hospital Maciel is one of the oldest hospitals in Uruguay and stands on the block bounded by the streets Maciel, 25 de Mayo, Guaraní and Washington, with the main entrance at 25 de Mayo, 172. The land was originally donated in Spanish colonial times by philanthropistFrancisco Antonio Maciel, who teamed up withMateo Vidal to establish a hospital and charity. The first building was constructed between 1781 and 1788 and later expanded upon. The present building stems from the 1825 plans of José Toribio (son ofTomás Toribio [es]) and laterBernardo Poncini (wing on the Guaraní street, 1859), Eduardo Canstatt (corner of Guaraní and 25 de Mayo) and Julián Masquelez (1889).[214] The hospital has achapel built in Greek style by Miguel Estévez in 1798.[215]
Hospital Pereira Rossell was founded in 1908 and was built on land donated in late 1900 by Alexis Rossell y Rius and Dolores Pereira de Rossell.[216] It was the city's first pediatric hospital, and shortly afterwards the addition of an obstetric and gynecological clinic in 1915 made it the first maternity hospital as well. Later, the hospital received a donation from Dr. Enrique Pouey for a radiotherapy unit.
Hospital Vilardebó is the only psychiatric hospital in Montevideo. Named after the physician and naturalistTeodoro Vilardebó [es], it opened 21 May 1880.[217] The hospital was originally one of the best of Latin America and in 1915 grew to 1,500 inpatients. Today the hospital is very deteriorated, with broken walls and floors, lack of medicines, beds, and rooms for the personnel.[218] It has an emergency service, outpatient, clinic and inpatient rooms and employs approximately 610 staff, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, administrators, guards, among others.[219] The average patient age is 30 years; more than half of the patients arrive by court order; 42% suffer from schizophrenia, 18% from depression and mania,[220] and there are also a high percentage of drug addicted patients.
Other public polyclinics and hospitals of note include theHospital Saint Bois, founded 18 November 1928, which consists of a General Hospital and Eye Hospital; the Pasteur Hospital in La Unión neighborhood; theHospital Español, which was founded in 1886, passed to the private sector in the 20th century, closed in 2004 and was restored and re-inaugurated in 2007 as the municipal Juan Jose Crottogini Polyclinic;[221][222] the National Cancer Institute; and the National Institute of Trauma and Orthopedics.
Private healthcare is offered by many private health insurance companies, each of which has one or more polyclinics and owns or is associated with one or more hospitals. Private medical facilities of note include theHospital Británico, theItalian Hospital of Montevideo, Mutualista CASMU's Sanatoria I, II, III and IV, the Evangelical Hospital,Médica Uruguaya [es], Sanatorio de la Asociación Española, Sanatorios del Círculo Católico, Sanatorio Casa de Galicia and Sanatorio GREMCA.
^Trinidad, Adriana (26 August 2020)."Montevideo: La capital del estilo Art Decó".Uruguay Natural Marca Pais - Sitio Oficial (in European Spanish).Archived from the original on 11 October 2023. Retrieved8 October 2023.
^Nelson Ormazábal."Día del Patrimonio" (in Spanish). montevideanos.com. Archived fromthe original on 28 April 2005. Retrieved17 November 2010.Pocas villas con deseos de ser ciudad, tuvieron tantos prenombres hasta llegar al definitivo de Montevideo. Pináculo de la Tentación, Monte de la Detención, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, Monte de San Pedro, Santo Vidio, Monte Seredo, Monte Vidi, Monte veo, Montem Video, Monte Vide Eu, Monte Ovidio, Monte VI D. E-O... Tales fueron, entre el viaje de Amerigo Vespucci (1501) y la fundación por Bruno Mauricio de Zabala (1726), las diversas denominaciones que la elevación al oeste de la bahía recibió.
^Ariel Collazo (7 May 2006)."El origen del nombre Montevideo" [The origin of the name Montevideo].La República (in Spanish). Montevideo: La Republica 21.Archived from the original on 30 April 2011. Retrieved20 November 2010.
^abLaura Caorsi."El sexto monte".laverdad.es (in Spanish). Archived fromthe original on 29 April 2011. Retrieved17 November 2009.
^The watercolour can be securely dated from its inclusion inPicturesque Illustrations of Buenos Ayres and Monte Video, p.xxix, published by R. Ackermann, London, 1820. No depiction of the city of earlier secure date has yet been produced.
^"Historia"(PDF).Adesh.org – Fundación para el Fomento y Desarrollo de Hispanoamérica (in Spanish). 30 March 2007. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 30 April 2011. Retrieved17 November 2009.
^Andrés Silva Delgado (December 2010)."¿Nevó en Uruguay en el mes de Noviembre?" [Did it snow in Uruguay on November?](PDF) (in Spanish). Montevideo, Uruguay: Dirección Nacional de Meteorología. p. 1. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 24 January 2012. Retrieved29 June 2011.
^Castaño, José; Giménez, Agustín; Ceroni, Mauricio; Furest, José; Aunchayna, Rossina."Caracterización Agroclimática del Uruguay 1980–2009"(PDF) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 12 December 2018. Retrieved12 December 2018.
^"Planetario".montevideo.gub.uy (in Spanish). Archived fromthe original on 17 December 2010. Retrieved16 November 2010.
^abPrensa, Comunicación y Relaciones Públicas."Parque Batlle".Government of Montevideo (in Spanish). Archived fromthe original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved14 November 2010.
^"Rosedal". Government of Montevideo. 14 June 2010. Archived fromthe original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved18 November 2010.
^"Museo Blanes". Government of Montevideo. 6 September 2010. Archived fromthe original on 26 April 2011. Retrieved18 November 2010.
^Mesa, Rosa Quintero (1973).Uruguay (Snippet view ed.). Xerox University Microfilms. p. 139.ISBN0-8357-0079-8.Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved22 October 2020.
^PROHIBICIÓN DE FUMAR EN OFICINAS PÚBLICAS. DEC. Nº 268/005 [PROHIBITION OF SMOKING IN PUBLIC OFFICES.](PDF) (Presidential Decree) (in Spanish). 5 September 2005.Archived(PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022."Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from the original on 29 March 2022. Retrieved14 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Burford, Tim (2010).Uruguay. Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 35–36.ISBN978-1-84162-316-0.Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved14 November 2015.
^"Pesquisa de Legislação Municipal – No 14471" [Research Municipal Legislation – No 14471].Prefeitura da Cidade de São Paulo [Municipality of the City of São Paulo] (in Portuguese). Archived fromthe original on 18 October 2011. Retrieved23 August 2013.
^"外事志--深圳市人民政府外事办公室"友好城市 [Friendly cities] (in Simplified Chinese). Shenzhen Foreign Affairs Office. 22 March 2008. Archived fromthe original on 19 July 2014. Retrieved7 August 2013.
^"友城概要--深圳市人民政府外事办公室"国际友好城市一览表 [International Friendship Cities List] (in Simplified Chinese). Shenzhen Foreign Affairs Office. 20 January 2011. Archived fromthe original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved7 August 2013.
^"友好交流--深圳市人民政府外事办公室"友好交流 [Friendly exchanges] (in Simplified Chinese). Shenzhen Foreign Affairs Office. 13 September 2011. Archived fromthe original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved7 August 2013.
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