Its construction dates back to 1621 by the Society of Jesus, for the operation of the Pontifical University of San Francisco Xavier. It comprises a large cloister surrounded by single-story galleries, under roofs supported by granite columns. A native cedar door, studded with bronze nails with large knockers. At the back of the cloister, in front of the vaulted entrance hall, stands what was once the domestic chapel of the University of San Francisco Xavier. It was used as the Main Hall where candidates for the doctorate degree presented their theses. From July 1825, the assembly of deputies from the five provinces of Upper Peru was convened by Marshal Antonio José de Sucre to deliberate on the destiny of the country. It decided to proclaim independence on August 6 of that year and to found the Republic of Bolivar. The first constitution of Bolivia, drafted by the Liberator Simón Bolívar, as well as the fundamental laws of the new State, were sanctioned there, and the first President of the Republic took the oath of office there. It is an architectural jewel of the Viceroyalty and at the same time an important historical relic, because it was within its walls that the independence of the Bolivian Republic was forged.
Sucre Cathedral dates back to the mid-16th century and is a harmonious blend of Renaissance architecture with later Baroque additions. It is a noble structure, with a bell tower that provides a local landmark. Inside, the white space of the single nave has a series of oil paintings of the apostles, as well as an altarpiece and a decorated pulpit. There are four sections, ritually unlocking as you make your visit. In the entrance hall, there is a series of fine religious paintings from the colonial period. Next, a chapel with relics of saints and chalices of fine gold and silver. The highlight, however, is found in the Chapel of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which was completed in 1625, the patron saint of the city. She was originally painted by Fray Diego de Ocaña in 1601, but the work was later covered with gold and silver leaf and adorned with incrustations of diamonds, amethysts, pearls, rubies, and emeralds donated by wealthy parishioners of the colony. The jewels are worth millions of dollars, making her the richest virgin in the Americas.
Founded on May 27, 1939, by the Ateneo de Bellas Artes Chuquisaca. Since 1957, it has been owned by the Royal and Pontifical Major University of San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca and is considered one of the most notable museums in the country. It is housed in a building from the colonial period, constructed as a Spanish property, later owned by the first Marquis of Casa Palacio. Traditionally known as "la Casa del Gran Poder" due to the veneration of a Sevillian image of the Holy Christ in the family's private chapel, where the city's parishioners would go every Friday. During the colonial period, the building where this museum is located housed the Holy Catholic Inquisition. A very spacious museum where you can spend a very peaceful afternoon, moreover, you don't feel the passage of time due to its interesting exhibition, which is divided into three very important rooms: the first themed on the colony, with a focus on religious iconography; the second part is an anthropological museum where you can see chullpas, Mojocoya culture, and a third part dedicated to contemporary art.
The National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore (MUSEF), under the Cultural Foundation of the Central Bank of Bolivia, is a non-profit public institution committed to the issue of the "Living Cultures of Bolivia," located in rural areas and urban centers, differentiated by notable or subtle ethnic particularities with their regional and dialectal variants. It exhibits the anthropological and ethnographic diversity of Bolivia, through its thematic rooms with temporary exhibitions of cultures, ethnic groups, masks, leather, wood, ceramics, textiles, photographs, and others. In addition, it provides a video library service with audiovisual material on dances, ethnic groups, music, history, painting, architecture, and more.
Just five kilometers from the city of Sucre lies the Castillo de la Glorieta, a beautiful expression of Neoclassical, eclectic architecture from the early 20th century, which showcases the opulence in which its owners lived and the dreams pursued by society at the time. The castle is home to very attractive stories and legends. It has highly qualified guides and among the most relevant stories, you can hear that the Princess of La Glorieta could not have children of her own. Given this frustration, she founded an orphanage that housed children of all ages. It is for this and other reasons of cooperation with society that Pope Leo XIII named them Princes of La Glorieta, erecting the Principality of La Glorieta in favor of Francisco Argandoña Revilla and Clotilde Urioste de Argandoña. The castle was declared a "National Monument" in 1970. Visit it, you will be surprised by its different fables.
A visit to Sucre must include a mandatory stop at the largest Paleontological Site in the world, in terms of continuous footprints. Located five kilometers from the city, it also boasts a very good view for landscape lovers. The park features life-size replicas of different dinosaurs, as well as binoculars to appreciate and relive features of the past. It also has a restaurant and an exhibition hall with films that help us understand the importance of the place in the past period. These are footprints of different dinosaur species belonging to the Upper Cretaceous, which, through specialized guides, you will be able to understand and relive the majestic past.
In 1826, the government decreed the transfer of the Franciscans to Potosí and the use of their convent for military purposes. This change of use led to the deterioration of the building, resulting in the alteration of the original façade of the old convent. The current façade exhibits a military typology, with typical battlements and two small towers with windows or lookouts.
Currently, it houses the National Military History Museum "Mariscal Antonio José de Sucre," evoking the chronological journey of Bolivia's Military History through the exhibition of weapons, paintings, dioramas, models, and military equipment in general.
This beautiful infrastructure has been highlighted due to the different historical scenarios it has gone through, from being a religious center to the site of presidential assassinations. This is what can be appreciated during an interesting visit. Its colonial courtyards with simple and beautiful cloisters house exhibition halls and a library, in addition to a gardenwhere you can admire the ancient "Cedar Tree," devoutly preserved. Its church boasts a beautiful choir stall located in the temple, a valuable work carved from cedar wood and originally intended for the Church of San Francisco.
