Montevideo

Montevideo is the capital and primate city of Uruguay. The metropolis at the mouth of the Río de la Plata has around 1.3 million inhabitants and is the economic, administrative and cultural center of the country.

Montevideo is one of the ten safest cities in Latin America and, according to a study, is also the South American city with the highest quality of life. Mercer ranks Montevideo first among Latin American cities and 78th in the world for quality of life in its 2019 study.

 

Getting here

By plane
Carrasco International Airport (IATA: MVD) is Montevideo's international airport, located about 20 km from the center and has a state-of-the-art terminal. From Europe there are currently direct flights with Iberia from Madrid or as a connecting flight via Miami with American Airlines. In addition, the city is very well connected to both Buenos Aires airports! Flights with Aerolineas Argentinas are available here. Ururuguey's largest airline is called Pluna and has a modern fleet of Canadair Regional Jets. However, it has more of the character of a low-cost airline and you have to pay extra for drinks and food on board. Pluna has a good offer to neighboring countries from Montevideo, while the airline BQB Líneas Aéreas operates more domestic flights.

Attention - the liquid restrictions of 100ml apply here too!

A taxi ride between the city and the airport is offered by all official taxis at a fixed rate of around U$730. Buses go directly from the arrivals level exit to "Terminal Rio Blanco" downtown (six blocks north of Av. 18 de Julio) and cost U.S.32. They are safe, although be careful to catch an express bus that goes through to Montevideo. The best way to find out which buses you can take is to ask at the information desk on the arrivals level. However, buses 700, 701, 710 and 711 appear to serve this route. You buy the ticket from the driver.

By train
With the exception of some suburban lines to the suburbs of Montevideo, there is no passenger train service in Uruguay. A journey to Montevideo by train can therefore only be made from the commuter area.

By bus
As in many other Latin American countries, the bus network is very well developed. There are many lines and a dense frequency to the main places. The central terminal is called "Tres cruces". From here you can reach practically every corner of Uruguay by bus. Buquebus also offers ferries to Colonia and Buenos Aires. The journey from Montevideo to Colonia takes about three hours with the COT line (first class only), all the latest buses, and costs €10 (as of January 2013). Bus lines 180 and 188 go from there to the old town for about 50 cents . By taxi it costs around €3.

There is an excellent and very informative tourist office in the terminal. It provides information and maps for all of Uruguay.

By boat
Ships sail between Buenos Aires and Montevideo several times a day.

 

Sights

Theatre

The city is home to the Teatro Solís, the most important state theater and the second largest theater in South America. The Teatro El Galpón is also located in the capital. Other theaters based in Montevideo include:
the Teatro Anglo
the Teatro Agadu
the Teatro Alianza Cultural Uruguay-Estados Unidos English-language plays are often performed here
the Gran Teatro Metro
the Teatro Ramón Collazo, a semi-circular steep arena where musical and carnival performances take place
the Circular Theatre
the Teatro Florencio Sanchez

 

Museums

There are numerous museums, important collections and exhibitions in Montevideo. The history of the country and the city is dealt with by:
the National Museum of History (Museo Histórico Nacional) housed in the Ciudad Vieja in the Cabildo
the military history museum (Museo Militar General Artigas) located in the Barrio Villa del Cerro on the Cerro de Montevideo in the local fortress
the Museo del Gaucho y la Moneda in the Palacio Heber Jackson on Avenida 18 de Julio
the city history museum (Museo Historico de Ciudad)
the national library

Provide insights into the development of art:
the Museum of Fine Arts (Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes "Juan Manuel Blanes")
the Museo de Artes Decorativas, housed in the Palacio Taranco in Ciudad Vieja
the Museo Romantico
the Museo Torres García, where the works of the artist Joaquín Torres García (1874-1949) are on display
the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Museo de Arte Contemporáneo)
the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art (Museo de Arte Precolombino e Indígena MAPI)
the National Museum of Arts (Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales)

Natural history, botanical and zoological collections:
the Natural History Museum (Museo Nacional de Historia)
the Zoological Museum (Museo Zoológico Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga)
the Municipal Botanical Museum (Museo Botánico Municipal)
the botanical collections and gardens (Jardín Botánico Profesor Atilio Lombardo|Museo y Jardín Botánico Prof. Atilio Lombardo)

Other specialty museums:
the Museo del Azulejo, which sheds light on the history of decorative wall tiles and tiles
the Museum of the History of Carnival in Uruguay (Museo de Carnaval)
the Crime Museum (Museo Policial)
the Aviation Museum (Museo Aeronáutico)
the Numismatic Museum (Museo Numismático)
Museum of Migrations

 

Buildings

the mausoleum of the national hero José Gervasio Artigas
the Bank of the Plata
the Banco Ingles de Rio de Janeiro
the Banco Popular del Uruguay
the Cabildo de Montevideo
the Casa Barth
the Casa Augustin de Castro
the Casa de Oribe
the Casa Rodríguez
the Catedral Metropolitana, built between 1790 and 1804
the Centro Militar (Montevideo)
the Comercio Merlinsky y Syrowicz
the Edificio Cafe Montevideo
the Edificios Lincoln y Vogar
the Edificio Sorocabana
the Edificio San Jose
the Estadio Centenario
the Church of San Francisco
Junta Departamental de Montevideo (structure)
the Mercado de la Abundancia
the Mercado del Puerto
the Obelisco a los Constituyentes de 1830, the Obelisk of Montevideo
the Palacio Chiarino
the Palacio Estévez, built in the 18th century, served as 'Casa de Gobierno' until 1985
the Palacio Legislative
the Palacio Piria
the Palacio Rinaldi
the Palacio Salvo
the Palacio Taranco
the Plaza Fuerte Hotel
the Puerta de la Ciudadela, the gateway to the old town, the 'Ciudad Vieja'
the Torre de las Telecomunicaciones
the Torre Ejecutiva, the seat of the President of Uruguay
the Solar de Burgues

Important streets and squares
Starting from the original city center of the old town, Montevideo is traversed almost in a kind of chessboard pattern by streets mostly running at right angles to each other, which thus form the characteristic blocks of houses. In addition to the Rambla, which encompasses the city on the coast line, several other streets take on the function of the core axes of Montevideo. These are primarily the Avenida 18 de Julio, which runs through the city center in the south of the Montevidean department from west to east to north-east, which finally meets the Bulevar Artigas, which starts in Punta Carretas on the Rambla and runs from south to north, which later follows bends west. There are several important squares in the Uruguayan metropolis on Avenida 18 de Julio, which is the city's main shopping street. For example, the Plaza de los Treinta y Tres, the Plaza de Cagancha or the Plaza Fabini can be found here. The Avenida finally flows into what is probably the most important square in Montevideo, the Plaza Independencia, at its western end.

Other important streets and squares:
Avenida Libertador
Plaza de la Constitucion
Plaza de la Contraescarpa
Plaza Zabala

 

Parks and green spaces

The inner city of Montevideo is very densely built up, which means that there is a great need for green spaces and "urban open spaces" in order to counteract social tensions and preserve the quality of life in this city. The parks and green areas were primarily created on the waterfront and in the outskirts of the city. The parks often bear the name of the donors - mostly wealthy citizens or politicians: Parque Arq. Eugenio Baroffio, Parque Bernardina Fragoso de Rivera, Parque Brig. Gral. Frucoso Rivera, Parque Brig. Gral. Jaúan Antonio Lavalleja, Central Park, Cesar Diaz Park, Golf Park, Las Instucciones Park, Dr. Carlos Vaz Ferreira, Park Dr. Juan Zorilla de San Martin, Férnando Garcia Park, José Batlle y Ordoñez Park, José Enrique Rodó Park, Municipal Park, National Park F.D. Roosevelt, Pedro Bellán Park and the Prado Park. Cemeteries - such as the Cementerio del Buceo - and the animal park Jardin Zoológia are also used as green areas.

sport and freetime
Every Sunday there is a large flea market in the Cordón barrio, the so-called Feria de Tristán Narvaja. Other markets regularly held in Montevideo include the Saturday Feria Villa Biarritz in the Pocitos district and the Sunday market in Parque Rodó.
In Montevideo there are the Estadio Alfredo Victor Viera, Estadio Luis Tróccoli, Estadio Gran Parque Central, Estadio Contador José Pedro Damiani, Estadio Luis Franzini and Estadio Belvedere.

Other sports facilities are
the Velodrome (Velódromo)
the horse racing track (Hipódromo de Maroñas)
the golf courses and marinas of the prestigious Yacht Club Nautilus and Yacht Club Uruguayo.
There is a marina in the Buceo district.

 

Religion

With the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montevideo, Montevideo is also a center of church life. Montevideo is also the episcopal seat of the Anglican Diocese of Uruguay, the Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de América. Its center is the Templo Inglés. The Methodist Church has also had a church in the city since 1903, the Iglesia Evangélica Metodista.

 

Eat

Those who would like to treat themselves to a large piece of beef should go to the "Mercado del Puerto" in the old town. There are a number of dining options and restaurants in and around the Mercado. In the restaurants, however, cutlery ("cubiertos") is often required.

 

Nightlife

There are practically no old cinemas left in Montevideo. They have been converted into churches in recent years. On the other hand, there are good cinemas with the latest films in the shopping centers. All foreign films are shown in the original language and with Spanish subtitles

 

Accommodation

If you are traveling with small luggage or with a backpack, you are advised to look for small, mostly family-run hostels in addition to the hotels. The people are helpful, friendly and happy if the guest speaks a little Spanish. In this way you can also learn something from the people about what makes life here special and perhaps different from that in the western (r)easterly world.

1 Hotel Sofitel Montevideo Carrasco, Rambla Republica de México 6451. Tel: +598 2604 6060.
2 Hotel Cottage Carrasco, Miraflores 1360 esq. Rbla. Rep. de México, Miraflores,. Phone: +598 2600 1111.

 

Geography

City outline

Montevideo is divided into 62 barrios. The division of the barrios has changed over the decades; new barrios emerged, while others merged or were combined. Many of today's districts of Montevideo, whose areas do not necessarily correspond to those of the barrios, were geographically independent settlements at the time they were created, which were absorbed as the city grew, for example Pocitos or Sayago. Others developed around industrial poles, such as the Villa del Cerro salt meat factory or the Nuevo París tanneries. Finally, there were those that grew out of large apartment complexes; these include Euskal Erría in Malvín Norte and Parque Posadas in Barrio Aires Puros.

 

Climate

According to Köppen's definition, Montevideo has an always humid, subtropical climate, which is also referred to as subtropical east side climates. It is characterized by rainfall that is evenly distributed throughout the year, as well as mild winters and warm summers. In summer, the whole of Montevideo lies in the area of the subtropical high pressure cell of the Atlantic, which brings humid air and thus precipitation over Uruguay. In winter, on the other hand, the migrating low pressure areas of the westerly wind zones can advance up to the 32nd degree of latitude and thus also to Montevideo. In addition, winters are uncomfortably damp and windy. A special feature of the climate are the stormy cold air rushes from the south (Pamperos), which can lead to extreme temperature drops at any time of the year due to the lack of weather barriers (mountains). These penetrate particularly frequently in winter and spring as far as Montevideo. On the other hand, warm winds from the northeast can also bring summer temperatures of up to a maximum of 30 °C. This phenomenon is particularly common at the beginning of winter and is called "Veranito de San Juan" by the locals. The average annual temperature is 16.3 °C.

 

History

Etymology

According to most theories, Montevideo got its name from the 132 m high city hill (Spanish monte "mountain"), the Cerro de Montevideo, located opposite the port. It is said to have been called Yvyty (“rock”) by the Guaraní. In the logbook of Magellan's boatswain Francisco Albo, the spelling Monte Vidi is first documented (1520).

In the realm of folk etymology are the legend of the exclamation "Monte vi eu" or "Monte vide eu" ("I saw/see a mountain") by an unknown sailor, the baptism of the mountain as Monte de San Ovidio by Magellan's expedition and the alleged inscription Monte VI D[e] E[ste a] O[este] (“Mountain 6 from East to West”) on old nautical charts.

 

18th century

In 1724, the process of founding Montevideo on what is now the Ciudad Vieja was initiated by the Spanish crown. Originally it was called San Felipe y Santiago de Montevideo. The founding of Montevideo primarily served to ward off the Portuguese, who kept invading the Banda Oriental from Brazil, and thus for military purposes. Securing shipping in the southern Atlantic and the Río de la Plata estuary located there also played a role in the founding of the city. In addition, since the final change on the Spanish throne from the Habsburgs to the Bourbons in 1714, their greater economic interest was a motive. Previously, as early as 1717, royal orders addressed to the governor of Buenos Aires Zabala for the installation and fortification of the settlement of Montevideo y Maldonado had not been followed, since resistance developed in Buenos Aires because of a competitor that developed with it on the Río de la Plata. Further royal requests in the years 1718 and 1723 were finally complied with.

Montevideo was then officially founded as a city on December 24, 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala - governor of Buenos Aires. A fort was built on the site of today's Plaza Zabala. Taking into account the Leyes de Indias, the first six grid squares (cuadras/manzanas) were staked out according to Petrarch's plan, each with a width of 100 varas (equivalent to 83.5 m) on the side of the peninsula facing the bay of Montevideo. An area located in the area of today's Bartolomé Mitré and Solís streets, respectively Cerrito and Piedras streets, north of Ciudad Vieja. In 1726, Pedro Millán subdivided another 26 manzanas while retaining this unit of measurement. The system was completed in 1741 based on the established urban planning design.

With regard to the building fabric of that time, it should be noted that apart from the fortifications and buildings serving sacred purposes, there were no structures made of stone or wood, with a few exceptions. The reason for this was that the military administration, which was dependent on Buenos Aires, had forbidden the use of any durable materials as building fabric. As a result, the buildings consisted mainly of air-dried bricks and skins.

In 1739, due to looming conflicts with the Portuguese and English, the Spanish crown decided to enclose the city both with a fortification wall and to secure it with a citadel by land. This led to restrictions on further urban development. Contrary to a plan originally drawn up by Petarca and the interests of the Montevidean city administration, the location of the citadel was chosen within the already developed and populated Manzanas. As a result, with the completion of the citadel around 1750 and the construction of the east-facing boundary systems, the water supply was outside the city. On the other hand, the spatial limitation of the urban area was in contrast to the population development of Montevideo.

The second half of the century saw the completion of both the fort in the north-west of the peninsula and the parapet facing the open sea, the Cubo del Sur, and, from 1798 to 1804, the 34 casemates along the port used as ammunition stores, the Las Bovedas. The erection of the fortifications meant that, in addition to the settlement of the Indian population outside the city walls, preferred residential areas now developed. In the north of the peninsula, sheltered from the wind, in the area of calle 25 de Mayo, lived the socially better off residents, such as large landowners in the immediate vicinity of Montevideo. Trading posts could also be found here. Solid building materials now prevailed in construction, which was also due to the increasing economic independence through the Gobernación de Montevideo set up by Spain. The sparsely populated south, on the other hand, continued to consist of huts of the simplest building fabric. Furthermore, because of the lack of space within the fortifications, the Manzanas were now more subdivided. The construction method also changed insofar as the development began directly on the street and the gardens, which were mostly located inside the manzanas, made further structural extensions possible.

In the second half of this century, Montevideo's original military importance receded more and more into the background in favor of commercial and economic activities, combined with the expansion of the port. For example, in 1771 it is reported that a convoy of 25 ships exported 432,000 cattle hides. From 1777 Montevideo's economic rise accelerated, after the conquest of Colonia del Sacramento by the Rio-Platensian viceroy had led to the loss of Portuguese competition in the region. A customs facility in operation from 1778 was created with the Aduana Vieja in calle Zabala. In addition, trade was stimulated by the Spanish royal family in the course of further economic liberalization through the Reglamento de Libre Comercio and the subsequent appointment of Montevideo as Puerto Mayor de las Indias.

The port of Montevideo, which in 1781 received a quay wall that was soon too small, now played an increasingly important role in the development of the city, and all the more so when Montevideo was granted the slave trade import monopoly within the South American colonies in 1791.

The main church on the Plaza de la Constitución was built from brick between 1790 and 1804.

 

19th century

In the new century, in 1802, the Montevideo lighthouse was built on the Cerro.

Since the beginning of the 19th century, the city has suffered repeated sieges and bombardments from England, Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Argentina. This led to a weakening of growth and as a result of the political turmoil that now set in, the economic situation of the Montevideans deteriorated. While England's attempts to conquer Buenos Aires from Montevideo in 1806 and 1807 failed, the situation in Montevideo only calmed down to a certain extent after the successful occupation of the city by the Brazilians in 1817. The following uprising, which ultimately led to independence in 1829 and was initiated by the 33 Orientals, determined the next few years.

The economic boom towards the end of the 18th century had also brought about a change in the cityscape to the effect that, in addition to the changes in building materials already mentioned, the architectural style was also subject to change. The development of the originally existing gardens and open spaces followed with progressive subdivision, whereby patio houses were mainly built here. The Casa de los Ximénez and the Casa de Tomás Toribio, for example, still exist today from the buildings that were built during this period. During this time, the new Cabildo was built in 1804 on the Plaza Mayor (Plaza Matriz/ Plaza Constitución), which was at the highest point in the city at the time, and before that the cathedral, built in 1790. Another building from this period is the Hospital Maciel.

After Uruguay's independence, a new phase in urban development was heralded by the demolition of the Montevidean fortifications ordered on August 25, 1829 as a result of the resulting expansion opportunities. The city became the center of independent Uruguay, both economically and administratively. José Maria Reyes was commissioned with the urban development, which should now extend from the former city walls to the area of calle Ejido. The Avenida 18 de Julio then formed the central axis of the expansion, oriented towards the crest of the peninsula on which Montevideo is located. However, the development of the newly developed area was initially sluggish due to the political unrest.

From 1843 Montevideo was then subjected to a siege as a result of the Guerra Grande (1839-1851), which had lasted since 1839. Even after the end of the war, the ongoing conflicts paralyzed development, but improvements in infrastructure gradually took place. This was also due to a new wave of immigrants starting in 1860. The pier in the port, which was renovated in 1824 but soon proved to be too small for the ships with increasingly large drafts, was expanded again for medium-draft ships. The streets, which were initially equipped with gas-powered lighting and electrified until 1886, were paved. The Ciudad Vieja received a sewage system and the water supply was also optimized. From 1869 the tram network was also expanded. Triggered by a yellow fever epidemic in 1857, among other things, the settlement structures within the city area began to change. Better off residents moved out of the old town to the newly developed areas around Avenida 18 de Julio, where large estates were built. In contrast, banks, such as the Banco Comercial in 1857, and other economic and cultural institutions settled in the Ciudad Vieja. Examples include the Mercado del Puerto in 1868, a year earlier the Administración de Correos or the Teatro Solís, the Club Uruguay (1885) and the Gran Hotel Nacional (1888). In terms of architectural style, the so-called conventillo spread as a result of the increasing construction of rental apartments, especially in the poorer, southern Manzanas of the old town as well as in the newly developed areas.

On June 5, 1888, Montevideo was also affected by the Río de la Plata earthquake, which measured 5.5 on the Richter scale. This was the first and only time in the city's history that such a natural event was recorded.

 

20th century

At the beginning of the 20th century, a French company began the expansion of the port, which was laid down by law in 1856 and for which the foundation stone was laid on July 18, 1901, after lengthy planning. A Braunschweig company decided in its favor the international competition for harbor design that was launched in 1889. The Rambla Portuaria was also redesigned as part of the port expansion.

Also in the early years of the 20th century, a new wave of immigrants from Europe and the interior of the country led to population growth and thus a higher demand for jobs in the city, which was combined with the emerging industrialization and the associated start-ups (especially in the consumer goods industry). with Uruguay's now more domestic market-oriented, import-substitutive policy. Between 1930 and 1955 the number of companies tripled (7,000 to 21,000) and the number of people employed in industry doubled (68,000 to 160,000) in Uruguay. This was again associated with effects on the settlement structures of Montevideo. In the old town, residential use was pushed back more and more in favor of economic institutions from the financial sector, such as the Banco de la República, and later from the service sector associated with the port (import and export companies, exchange offices, etc.). Avenida 18 de Julio, on the other hand, developed into the main shopping street due to the expansion of retail trade and its surroundings were now increasingly used for residential purposes by the middle and upper classes of Montevideo. The members of the poorer stratum of the population, on the other hand, now often either lived in pensiones or inquilinatos or moved into the rental blocks that had been built in the Calle Reconquista area since 1945.

At the same time, the cityscape began to change in such a way that the building heights increased, also favored by new building regulations issued in 1907. With the construction of the stock exchange (1940), the Hotel Victoria Plaza (1950) and the Edificio Tupí (1963), among others, the cathedral lost its special position as a building that had previously dominated the cityscape. The rising property prices in the city center also resulted in more intensive use of the available space. This was noticeable in the fact that open spaces within the old town were now almost non-existent. In addition, more and more high-rise buildings with condominiums were built during this period in order to meet the demand in this regard. This development was also promoted by government support for the formation of property, for example through the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal from 1946.

During World War II, the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee, a raider in the South Atlantic, took refuge in the neutral port of Montevideo after a battle with British cruisers on December 13, 1939. Faced with the choice between another hopeless naval battle with the British and internment by Uruguay, the crew of the Graf Spee sank the ship itself on December 17, 1939 off Montevideo. A monument with the ship's anchor raised has its place in one today although not readily accessible to the public part of the port of Montevideo.

When the country's economic situation deteriorated in the 1950s, among other things due to falling prices for agricultural products, the export of which the Uruguayan economy was mainly based on, this also had consequences for the city of Montevideo. The building activity in the city area decreased sharply. Compared to previous years, new buildings were erected in a significantly smaller number and the existing building fabric also fell into disrepair. This was due, among other things, to the restrictive tenant protection introduced in 1947, which was counterproductive to landlords' willingness to invest, in connection with increasing inflation. This prevented an adjustment of rents to the inflation rate.

From 1975 there were considerable structural changes in the city. These were caused in the course of the changes that have now been made in the country's economic policy through greater liberalization and the stabilization of the peso caused by the fight against inflation, with the capital inflow triggered as a result. During this period, domestic demand in the country increased and exports quadrupled in the period from 1973 to 1981. The structural changes hit the old town in particular, but also the district of Pocitos. There was increased construction activity, which, together with an upgrading of the old town, led to the development of new properties and extensions for the tertiary sector. The increased construction activity was also caused by the fact that land speculation increased in the course of the release of rents by the Ley de Alquileres Tenancy Act passed in 1974 and further legal regulations between 1978 and 1980 led to enormous demolition activity in the old town. As a result of this structural change, the population there declined so that in 1985 only 16,000 people lived in the old town.

On January 8, 1979, Montevideo was the scene of the signing of the Acta de Montevideo[7] (Montevideo Act) in connection with papal mediation in the Beagle conflict.

In the 1980s, Pope John Paul II himself visited the city twice. The first visit dates from April 1987. Here he held a large mass in Tres Cruces. The second, which also took him to the cities of Salto, Florida and Melo, took place in 1988.

 

Population development

The first 40 residents of Montevideo came to the newly founded city together with Zabala from Buenos Aires. The immigrants who followed now came first from the Canary Islands. Two years after Zabala, 96 people came and more followed in the years 1727 to 1729. Of the newly arrived Montevideans in 1730, 20 families had also left their old home on the Canary Islands. A first rapid population increase took place in the years after the Uruguayan declaration of independence until 1840. Many of the new residents came from France, Italy, Spain and England. After the end of the Guerra Grande, renewed strong population growth began in Montevideo. On the one hand, this was linked to the positive economic development that began around 1860, which triggered a new wave of immigration from Europe. On the other hand, this was due to changes in agriculture. Among other things, the consolidation of ownership caused by the newly founded Uruguayan Chamber of Agriculture in 1871 through progressive fencing of pasture land led to a rural exodus to the capital, since the need for agricultural labor was now declining.