To the traveller who views it for the first time from the distant heights of Huata, on the road leading to the capital from the north, the beautiful white city of Sucre looks like a dove in its nest, as it lies enclosed within the surrounding hills, gleaming in the bright sunlight under the clearest of skies. It is an enchanting picture, and the traveller involuntarily pauses to enjoy its exquisite harmony. Repose and beauty are expressed in the whole panorama which spreads out before one at this magnificent vantage point. Nature is calm on the summits and in the valleys, the heavens are serene and smiling, and the fair city nestling there is a vision of delight. It impresses the imagination like the reading of a beautiful romance, the sound of sweet music, or a day-dream in June. A nearer approach gives animation to the picture, which is ever charming. Groups are seen to pass and repass on the busy thoroughfares; elegant equipages can be distinguished in the parks and along the avenues; and donkeys, resting in the shade, or trotting along with their loads, cholas and Indians with bundles on their backs, and children playing about the doorways, indicate the poorer quarters where work and rest have no separate abode. Here and there a tall chimney, with the smoke curling up from it, marks the site of the factory or mill, and shows that the spirit of enterprise is not wanting. Numerous church towers rise above the tiled roofs. Upon entering the capital, the foreigner’s first impression is one of surprise that a city so remote from the centres of social and commercial progress in the Old and the New World should present such a modern appearance, with so many evidences of wealth and culture. The sight of paved streets, handsome public buildings, plazas, driveways, and private residences that are in some instances veritable palaces, shatters the preconceived ideas of this far away metropolis. Although situated in the heart of South America, from two to three days’ ride by diligence from the nearest railway, and longer by muleback,—according to the season and the consequent condition of the roads,—Sucre is as European as any city of old Spain, and much more advanced than most of them. The glorious climate makes mere existence a delight, and the pure air of this altitude, which is ten thousand feet above sea level, contributes to render it one of the most healthful and agreeable places of residence imaginable. The inhabitants show the influence of its inspiring atmosphere, and are, as a rule, happy, contented, and genial. Everyone who has visited Sucre, even for a short time, retains through life a pleasant remembrance of the beautiful city and its cultured and hospitable people. Everything pertaining to hard and bitter struggle and the turmoil of anxious effort seems to have been banished, or never to have existed in this “Happy Valley” of the Occident. Occasionally one hears a sigh and some reference to la lucha de la vida—“the struggle of life”—from a philosopher of pessimistic temperament, but there is seldom any deeper sentiment in the remark than that which may be inspired by too long an interval between fiestas. There is something restful in the quiet dignity with which the most urgent business affairs are despatched, and it is refreshing to observe the hopefulness with which each day is welcomed as the herald of important possibilities. A Frenchman, writing of the city, says: “It is like one of its own lovely ladies; it has the repose of the grande dame, the fresh beauty of the débutante, and the fascination of both, with its charming atmosphere, the sunny smile of its skies, and the persistence with which it lingers in one’s memory!” Needless to say the Frenchman left his heart in the Bolivian capital.

It is to be regretted that so few foreigners visiting Bolivia ever get beyond the Titicaca plateau, and that the only aspect under which they see this great country is presented by the vast stretches of the Altaplanicie, with the Andes marking its border. The average traveller’s idea of Bolivian life and customs is taken entirely from the cities of the Titicaca plateau, and especially from La Paz, which, though the commercial metropolis, progressive and enterprising, displaying in its social life those characteristics which are most admired and give the city one of its greatest charms, is essentially a “highland city,” and not typical of every town in Bolivia. Each department has its distinctive features, whether of mountain, valley, or plain, that give to the department capitals an individuality as marked as that which distinguishes London from Newcastle, New York from Denver, and Berlin from Leipsic. Sucre differs in some respects from La Paz and other Bolivian cities, which in turn differ from each other.

By a law passed July 1, 1826, Sucre was declared the provisional capital of the republic, and this title was confirmed by Congress, July 10, 1839. A decree issued June 18, 1843, gave to the city the additional title of “illustrious and heroic.” Nearly all the department capitals, however, have had the honor of being the seat of government at some period, and the sessions of Congress have, upon many occasions in the history of the republic, taken place at Oruro and Cochabamba and at the present seat of government, La Paz. Several amusing stories are related in this connection. It is said that a mystified Englishman once asked Don Casimiro Olañeta, the Bolivian orator: “But where is, really, the capital of Bolivia?” to which the witty reply was: La capital de Bolivia es el lomo del caballo que monta el Presidente de la Republica—“The capital of Bolivia is the back of the horse which the president of the republic rides.” The remote situation of the capital and the difficulty of reaching it at some seasons of the year are largely responsible for this itinerary system. Sucre is at present the seat of the Supreme Court and the archiepiscopal see, but, as before stated, the other executive authorities of the national government now have their headquarters at La Paz, where the sessions of Congress have been held since the overthrow of President Alonso in 1899 and the establishment of the present political system.

Of the history of the site upon which the city was built which has been successively known as Charcas, Chuquisaca, La Plata, and Sucre, little can be learned antedating the period of Inca rule, though it is known that the locality has been from time immemorial a centre of population. The name Charcas refers, of course, to the tribes to whom the original inhabitants, not only of this locality, but of all Collasuyo, belonged. Chuquisaca, an Indian name, signifies, according to various authorities, “the bridge of gold,” “mountain of gold,” “stone of gold”; but, by whatever interpretation, it shows that the presence of the precious metal in abundance suggested the title. La Plata was the name given by the Spaniards, who found silver in large quantities in this locality. The name Charcas is no longer used, except in an occasional reference to the University of San Francisco Xavier as the University of Charcas; Chuquisaca is the name of the department of which Sucre is the capital; La Plata designates the archbishopric; Sucre is now the only name by which the city is known. The Spaniards could not have chosen a more advantageous locality for the founding of their chief city in Bolivia, at a time when the principal interests of Spain were centred in the rich mines of her newly conquered territory. As soon as Potosi began to empty its treasure stores, the tide of immigration turned in that direction; and as the extreme altitude prevented many people from living at the famous Cerro, the colonial capital became a favorite place of residence for wealthy Potosinos, as the city has continued to be to the present day. It increased in importance with the increasing wealth of the colony, and early in the history of the Audiencia it became celebrated, not only for its elaborate court functions and the costly display of its rich inhabitants, but for the attention paid to learning, the University of San Francisco Xavier, as before mentioned, taking high rank among the best Spanish universities. This characteristic of the capital of the Audiencia has been inherited by the capital of the republic, and Sucre is noted for the great number of the nation’s most brilliant and gifted sons who claim it as their birthplace. The history of the city has been related in that of the whole country; it would be impossible to give a record of events concerning either the Audiencia of Charcas or the republic of Bolivia without presenting to constant view the capital city, which has been so often the chief theatre of action.

Every public square and every street has its story connected with some period of the city’s history, and all the older buildings have historic interest. The legislative palace, which was formerly a Jesuit convent, has been the scene of some of the most important events in the history of Bolivia. During colonial days, the general chapel, as it was called, was used as an assembly hall, where all the corporations and chief authorities had their reunions. In this hall one of the leaders of the Chuquisaca patriots, Don Ramón García de León Pizarro, was imprisoned for a share in the memorable revolution of August 25, 1809, and it was here that the Act of Independence was signed on August 6, 1825. It is the sala for the use of the Chamber of Deputies, and has witnessed many stirring scenes in the meetings of Congress held within its walls. It has two parliamentary tribunes, besides one for diplomatic representatives; a magnificently carved and gilded choir, which attracts attention because of its artistic design and exquisite workmanship, and which is only one of many legacies of architectural beauty bequeathed to posterity by the Jesuit wood and stone carvers, extends as a gallery along one end of the sala, and is known as the ladies’ gallery of the House. The Senate is a spacious hall occupying one side of the palace, and having as its most conspicuous adornment a bust of the celebrated Bolivian statesman who was one of the nation’s greatest presidents, Señor Don Tomás Frias. In the sala of the Chamber of Deputies have been placed handsome commemorative busts of General Bolivar, General Sucre, and General Ballivian; and in the same hall the swords of the victors of Ayacucho and Ingavi are preserved among the nation’s priceless relics. The saddle cloth which was worn by General Sucre’s horse on the day of the mutiny, when the general was shot in the arm just before Colonel Lopez came to his rescue, and which still shows the stain of blood, is among the souvenirs of the illustrious hero of Ayacucho that remain in the city bearing his name. It is a valued possession of the prefect of Chuquisaca, Colonel Julio La Faye, whose grandfather, Colonel Lopez, received it as a parting gift from the “philosopher soldier” before the latter left Bolivia. It is magnificently embroidered in gold. Colonel La Faye may some day present it to the nation, to be exhibited among its most precious historical heirlooms. The Pacheco finca marks the site of the house in which General Sucre recuperated from the effects of the wound in his arm, and where he dictated his abdication to one of the young captains of his army who acted as his secretary. It is a celebrated document, and is regarded as one of the most beautiful demonstrations of patriotic feeling, exalted integrity and rhetorical brilliancy in the history of Spanish-American politics. The young captain who wrote the abdication was José Ballivian, afterward one of Bolivia’s most illustrious generals, and the hero of her greatest battle, Ingavi. Romance has its share, too, in the stories that survive regarding General Sucre, and a picturesque country place is pointed out as having been the home of a beautiful daughter of the capital who won the heart of the hero, and whose white kerchief fluttering from a window that peeped out among the trees was a signal as powerful to lead the great soldier into love’s silken campaign as was his country’s flag to plunge him into the storm of patriotic combat. “The bravest are the tenderest” under all the flags of the world.

The new government palace is the handsomest public building in Sucre. It occupies half a square on the west side of the principal plaza and consists of three stories and a magnificent cupola which has a mirador, or balcony, affording an uninterrupted view of the city and surrounding country. Spacious salas are provided for the use of the chief executive and for the offices of the ministers of state. Architecturally and in its modern style of construction, the new palace is a fine example of building enterprise. When finished it will be furnished in harmony with the most tasteful ideas of artistic decoration. Already much of the furniture has been purchased, great mirrors have been ordered for the salones as well as rich curtains and carpets. The plan of the building is effective, the double marble staircases leading from the grand entrance, which turn to form a single staircase midway between the ground floor and that above, presenting a particularly imposing appearance between stately marble columns. The halls and corridors are spacious and conveniently arranged, not only for executive and administrative purposes, but as banquet halls, ballrooms, and reception parlors. The façade of the building shows in the centre the national coat of arms, and above it the legend La Union es la Fuerza—“Union is Strength.” Over the entrance is sculptured in high relief a shield bearing the coat of arms of each of the departments of Bolivia.

Next in importance to the Executive Palace, the Palace of Justice claims special attention. In its halls are held the sessions of the Supreme Court, Superior Court, and lesser judicial authorities. It contains the offices of the national Tribunal de Cuentas, Prefectura, and Comandancia General of the department of Chuquisaca, the General Archives of the nation, the administration offices of the departmental treasury, and the Public Library, containing about ten thousand volumes. This imposing old edifice is one of the most interesting in the city. Its style is the earliest colonial period, when it was erected as a Dominican convent. The cloisters on the second floor are still apparently as solid as they were centuries ago, and surpass the most substantial corridors and galleries built to-day. In the patio is an old quadrant or sun-dial of colonial days, which still is as serviceable as ever. The salas of the Supreme Court are furnished appropriately and in good taste, and upon the walls are oil portraits of the most distinguished jurists of the republic. In the Superior Court several old paintings attract attention, though only one, a painting of the Crucifixion, appears to have particular merit. The president of the Supreme Court, Señor Don Fenelon Pereira, is one of the most distinguished jurists of Bolivia, and a statesman of unimpeachable integrity as well as superior talent.

Prominent among the historical institutions of the country is the University of San Francisco Xavier; which, however, pertains more appropriately to the subject of educational institutions, to be described in a later chapter, along with the Military College and School of Engineering, the School of Medicine, and other educational establishments. The Manicomio Pacheco, the Hospital de Santa Barbara, and similar charitable institutions, have previously been referred to in connection with the noble charities with which the ladies of Bolivia are largely identified. The Consistorial Palace, in which the Geographic Society of Sucre holds its sessions, one of the important public buildings, faces the principal plaza, which is called Plaza 25 de Mayo in memory of the first strike for independence. Among public offices of note are: the Post Office, adjoining the Palace of Justice, the quartels and police headquarters, the Public Market, the Municipal Custom House, and the Tambo de la Independencia, as the penitentiary is called,—tambo meaning “inn.”

Sucre has eight churches, twelve chapels, two convents, three monasteries, and three cloistered nunneries. Being the seat of the archbishopric of La Plata, its importance as an ecclesiastical centre can readily be appreciated. The great Metropolitan Basilica, a solid edifice of the seventeenth century, to which a handsome tower was added late in the nineteenth century, faces the Plaza 25 de Mayo. It is the richest cathedral in Bolivia, having many gold and silver ornaments and precious jewels. The custodia, or casket, in which the consecrated Host is manifested to public veneration, is set with precious stones of rare value. In all the churches the image of the Blessed Virgin is covered with jewels. The Virgin of Guadalupe, an image of solid gold, is adorned with jewels which are said to be worth a million dollars. The archbishop’s palace, adjoining the Basilica, is an old colonial edifice, spacious and richly furnished, as befitting the residence of one of the highest dignitaries of the Church. San Felipe, the oratory of the Fathers of Saint Philip, shows wonderful specimens of colonial wood carving; and the spacious church of Santo Domingo, the monasteries of Santa Clara, and Santa Teresa, the convent of the Franciscans, and the numerous other buildings for religious worship, are noteworthy examples of the ecclesiastic architecture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

The city has nine plazas. The Plaza 25 de Mayo is situated in the very heart of the city, which is planned in the form of a diamond. Two small streams, one on each side of the plaza, carry through the city, in opposite directions, the headwaters of two of the greatest rivers in the world. One pours its sparkling tide into the Rio Grande, to join the Mamoré, thence through sloping plains and densely wooded forests, to reach the winding course and tumbling rapids of the greater Madeira, losing itself in the mightiest affluent of the Amazon; the other, the picturesque Cachimayo, blithely begins its long journey in the cañons and gorges of the serranias of Yamparaez, growing more sluggish as it finds itself in the broad river bed of the Pilcomayo, sometimes no more than a lazy stream, and again spreading into a broad, though shallow, lake, overhung with verdure of tropical luxuriance, idling along, until it enters the Paraguay opposite the city of Asuncion, and passes down, between orange groves and fertile gardens, to the great estuary of La Plata. The one to the north, the other to the south, each carries its message across the continent of South America from the beautiful city of southern Bolivia; and whatever of marsh and miasma they may encounter on their way to the sea, whatever scenes of desolation they may pass on their long route, only the sweetest purity and limpid freshness mark them as they leave their mountain source, and the only reflections in their clear waters are of beauty and content. Thus too the mighty tide of patriotism that first bubbled out of the hearts of the noble heroes who made the 25 de Mayo memorable in the annals of the Independence, flowed pure and undefiled from its fountain head, whatever tortuous windings it may have suffered, and whatever evils it may have met in the long war that it carried to the colonies of all South America! And as the mighty Amazon and the broad La Plata owe a debt to the little mountain streams that feed them, so the South American republics owe their gratitude to the initiative of the Bolivian patriots, which was the source of a continent’s inspiration.

In addition to the Plaza 25 de Mayo, which is adorned with gardens, fountains, and a pretty kiosk, there is the beautiful Plaza Libertad, in the centre of which stands a marble column surmounted by the Phrygian cap of Liberty; the Plaza Sucre, with a bust of the grand marshal of Ayacucho adorning a handsome monument; the Plazas Monteagudo, Recoleto, and others. Out of the city good roads lead in several directions to the picturesque suburbs, and, beyond, to the highways which conduct the traveller to Potosi, Cochabamba, Challapata, and other distant cities. The excellent condition of the roads, as well as other notable signs of development in the department, are due to the direction of the prefect, Colonel Julio La Faye, whose devotion to the interests of his department is seen in many improved public works. The road and bridge of Azero, the complete building up of hitherto bad roads southward, and especially the establishment of the system of water works, to be brought from the Cerro of Cajamarca, prove not only the will to promote the best interests of progress in this part of the country, but the talent necessary to initiate and successfully carry out the most important reforms. Colonel La Faye has occupied his present post since 1900. Previous to that time he held other offices of importance in the government, and as orator, diplomat, soldier, and statesman, his career has been one of brilliancy and absolute integrity.

The inauguration of a new system of water works in Sucre is a particularly important event. When the government resolved to bring the waters of the Cerro of Cajamarca, fifteen miles away, to the city of Sucre, it was decided to use the source in the springs formed by the headwaters of the Cajamarca, Uyuni, Pucaloma, and Kolpamayo rivers, which belong to the Amazon system. The quantity to be supplied will be six thousand cubic mètres per day, more than sufficient for the population of Sucre, which has about twenty-five thousand inhabitants. The work of laying the pipes and completing the system will take about three years, and will cost approximately one million bolivianos. Sufficient energy will be transmitted from the headquarters of the water works for the public and private lighting of the city and for the local industries. Abundant material is found in the Cerro for the purposes of construction. Portland cement cannot be used because of the high price at which it sells in Sucre, six hundred bolivianos per metric ton. The Cerro of Cajamarca is particularly well chosen as the source of Sucre’s water supply, as its rainy season is distinct from that of Sucre, though at so short a distance away, and its register of rainfall is double that of the city. The engineer and director of the enterprise, Señor Don Carlos Doynel, a Belgian, who has had great experience in such undertakings, is enthusiastic over the promising features of the work.

By the establishment of an improved system of water works and the development of energy sufficient to provide motive power for the factories of the city, the manufacturing interests will profit considerably. While this branch of industry is still in its infancy, it can nevertheless show very encouraging signs and, in some instances, great progress. One of the most important enterprises is the chocolate factory of Aranjuez, owned by Rodriguez Brothers, which produces three hundred pounds daily of the most delicious chocolate. It is an interesting process to watch the grinding of the cacao berry into a powder, its mixture with sugar, always the purest white granulated quality, and the gradual conversion into the chocolate sticks of commerce. It is shipped to all parts of Bolivia and to Chile, neatly put up in a similar style to the Chocolat-Menier, so familiar in other countries. Sucre has also a flour mill, in which North American machinery is used. The flour, which is made by a firm also engaged in manufacturing cigars and cigarettes, is of a superior grade, and was given a premium in the Buffalo Exposition of 1901 for its fine quality.

Fruit preserving is one of the flourishing industries, and at Ñuccho, a few miles out of the city, there are several large preserving establishments. Ñuccho is an ideal country place, and every visitor to Sucre enjoys a trip to this historic resort. It was in this picturesque spot, on the site where the Pacheco finca now stands, that General Sucre recuperated from his wound after the mutiny of 1828, and here he dictated his famous abdication. It is situated on the banks of the Cachimayo, at its confluence with the Yotala, in the midst of magnificent scenery which combines the grandeur of lofty mountains with the pastoral beauty of green meadows and prosperous-looking farms. Many of the beautiful haciendas near Sucre have fruit farms and dairies, from which are shipped the finest products the market affords. The beautiful suburb of Cachimayo has many gardens and vineyards, and wine of an excellent quality is made. During the bathing season Cachimayo is a popular social resort, many Sucre families spending there the months of spring and autumn. The beautiful avenues leading out of Sucre pass many of these charming suburbs, the chief among them being, beyond doubt, the country home of the Prince and Princess of Glorieta. The prince, being Bolivian minister in Paris, seldom visits his home these days, but a staff of administrators and overseers attends to the care of the place. Guereo and Florida are also beautiful fincas, adorning the city’s outskirts with their stately trees, and an abundance of flowers enhances the beauty of the handsome houses and well-trimmed grounds.

The climate of Sucre, as previously stated, is superb. Endemic fevers and similar ailments do not occur in the city, and the air is so dry that the psychrometer has been known to register 0°, which is seldom noted elsewhere. Typhoid fever and diphtheria appear at times, but statistics show a diminution in the death rate from these causes, owing to improved sanitation. During the rainy season, from October to March, there are sometimes terrific electric storms, magnificent to witness from a distance, but disquieting to the timid in their midst.

Sucre counts few foreigners among her citizens, but those who live there are devoted to their adopted home. The English and North American residents—of whom Mr. Thomas Moore is the best known, having lived half a lifetime there, and married a charming Bolivian—could be counted upon the fingers of one hand, and there are almost as few of other foreign nationalities. But the hospitable and courteous people of this attractive city have a warm welcome and a kindly good-bye for all strangers who visit them, and life is made very agreeable. There are several good clubs, the Club de la Union being one of the richest and of the best ton in Bolivia. Its entertainments are on a scale of great luxury; and when a ball or special function is given, no expense is spared to make the occasion worthy of the best society of the republic.

Though everyone seems to recall with the greatest facility the impression made by a first glimpse of Sucre, few remember its aspect at parting; for they see it either through a mist of tears, or with the sight far away from what the eyes are looking upon. One recalls the affectionate good-byes, and the dear faces of sweet friends who have been won during a too brief stay in that enchanting spot never fade out of memory; but, on taking leave, one’s thoughts are devoted less to the place than to the people, who have won their way into the heart and memory so completely that their beautiful city remains only as a background against which to group “the cherished pictures that hang on memory’s wall.”