Coro, Venezuela

The city was founded on July 26, 1527 by Juan Martín de Ampués, with the name of Santa Ana de Coro. Ampíes covenanted to respect the authority of the Native chief Manaure highest authority of the natives of the region, the Caquetio people, This covenant is broken abruptly in 1529 with the landing at the city's first Governor and Captain General Ambrosius Ehinger representing the Welser, an Augsburg banking and trading family. The family received the Province of Venezuela (as Klein-Venedig) from the emperor Charles V for exploration, founding cities and exploitation of the resources of this vast territory that stretched from Cabo de la Vela (Guajira Peninsula) to Maracapana (near the city of Barcelona, Anzoátegui). From Coro emerged multiple expeditions to the Venezuelan and Colombian Llanos, the Andes and the Orinoco River in search of El Dorado, which allowed the conquerors to explore these vast territories. The government of the Welsers ends in 1545 for breach of contract and conflict of interests between them and the Spanish conquistadors who explored the territory from other focal points of the Spanish Empire in America. The city is in its early days a "beachhead" or outpost of the Spanish during the conquest and colonization in the western and central Venezuela. From them left the expeditions of exploration and founding of new towns.

Santa Ana de Coro lost the political capital of the Venezuela Province (also known as the Coro Province in official documents of the time) in 1578 to Caracas, motivated by repeated invasions of pirates (Preston Somers Expedition was one) and especially to the harshness of its climate. Finally it was no longer the seat of the bishopric in 1636.

During the seventeenth century Coro was hit by a hurricane and invasions of pirates, to the point where it appeared in the charts of English and French of the time with the title of "destroyed." However, these calamities left intact the countryside, with its productive power, which allowed it to recover slowly. Thus, in the late 18th and early 19th century reaches its colonial peak. Precisely from this period are the best preserved civilian buildings in the city.

In 1795 a slave uprising occurs, and generally dominated social classes in the Sierra de Coro, led by the free zambo José Leonardo Chirino, which was aimed at the elimination of slavery and the establishment of the republican regime known for the time as "the French law". The movement, which would be the forerunner in the independence process would end in defeat, the capture and killing of rebel leader.

The events prior to the war of Independence in 1806, landed in its port of La Vela de Coro the liberating expedition led by Francisco de Miranda, the precursor of Spanish American wars of independence would bring the tricolor that after the years end up adopting the Gran Colombia, which is now the basis for the official flag of three American republics, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. It was then in the port of La Vela de Coro, which was raised for the first in Venezuela.

During the beginning of the Venezuelan War of Independence, Coro, Maracaibo and Guiana did not comply with the provisions of the Junta Suprema de Caracas on April 19, 1810, remaining loyal to Spanish rule. Subsequently, formed a bulwark of the Spanish Empire to land on its coasts the troops that end up destroying the First Republic of Venezuela. In 1821, finally the Coro Province incorporates to the process of independence, with the capture of the city by the troops led by the heroine Josefa Camejo and a group of patriots who came a long time plotting. By the time the General Rafael Urdaneta invades from Maracaibo commanding the Grancolombian army, and the city had been released a few days earlier for the Coro army commanded by Camejo.

The War of Independence and later the civil wars of the 19th century (including the Federal War that began in Coro) leaving the city deserted and destroyed its field, which plunged her into a period of decline that would recover the half- well into the 20th century with the construction of oil refineries in the Paraguaná Peninsula and the changes in Venezuela following the passage of a rural to an urban and oil country.

Since the early 50s Coro was declared a National Heritage.

Coro has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh) with an average of approximately 382 millimetres or 15 inches of rainfall per year. The highest rainfall occurs between October and December. The average temperature is 28.9 °C (84.0 °F), with minimum temperatures of 25 °C (77 °F) and maximum 34 °C (93.2 °F). The city is sunny, averaging over 3100 hours of sunshine a year.[3] It is characterized by strong winds that can register speeds of 35 kilometres per hour (22 mph; 19 kn).

From its historic colonial architecture to its diverse landscapes, Coro provides various forms of tourist attraction. In the extreme northeast of the city are the Médanos de Coro National Park, large dunes that are the only desert in Venezuela. They are located along the road that runs between the colonial area of the city to the port of La Vela de Coro. The colonial town, a World Heritage Site, preserves a typical urban landscape of the 18th and 19th centuries, with its cobbled streets and hundreds of historic and traditional buildings. Some architectures reflects a Mudéjar style, while others reflect the cultural influence of the Netherlands through the colony of Curaçao. In the city there are interesting Catholic and civilians buildings, that were the scene of numerous events of historic significance, since the early Republican period. Probably the architectural influences of Coro are unique.

Among the buildings and places of interest highlights include:

Cathedral Basilica of St. Ann, Coro

Since the creation of the Diocese of Coro by the Papal Bull of July 21, 1531, it directed the building of the Cathedral of one of the temples of Coro and in 1567 the cathedral is sacked by the Corsair Francis Drake. The current structure dates from 1583 and was completed by the end of the 17th century, making it the oldest Catholic church in Tierra Firma.

Casa de las Ventanas de Hierro

Magnificent mansion built in the 17th century by Don José Francisco Garcés de la Colina. This is a house that has a portal that rises to more than eight feet high, and so named because of the large windows protected by a wrought iron structure that was imported from Andalusia.

Iglesia de San Francisco.

Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco

This religious complex consists in a church with three naves and an annex building that was a Franciscan monastery, which now houses the Diocesan Museum "Lucas Guillermo Castillo ". It begins to build in the 16th century and was destroyed by pirates in 1620. Its neo-Gothic tower is of more recent construction stands over 50 meters, which makes it the highest of all assets. In 1985 the Lucas Guillermo Castillo Museum managed to acquire a place called La Casa Manzano Campuzano or Casa de los Capriles next to the convent.

Iglesia de San Clemente

Diocesan Museum Lucas Guillermo Castillo

It has its origins in a church commanded to be built by the founder of the city Juan de Ampíes in the 16th century. It is a cruciform building where each end pointing towards a central point. It is one of the few examples of colonial architecture in the form of a cross in Venezuela.

Casa del Tesoro

Mansion built in 1770 by the Talavera family, and on this was born Bishop Mariano de Talavera, which famous corian that supported the cause of independence. The origin of its name is from the legend that in its land would be buried a treasure that has not yet been located.

Alberto Henríquez Museum of Art

Alberto Henríquez Museum of Art

The house built was built in the first half of the XVIII century by the lieutenant governor of Coro Don Francisco Campuzano Polanco as his residence and bought on 1847 by Mr. David Abraham Senior, a sephardic trader from Curaçao who built there the Coro Synagogue, one of the oldest synagogues in Latin America. Currently, the synagogue is part of the Alberto Henríquez Museum of Art, which belongs to Universidad Francisco de Miranda.

Balcón de los Arcaya

Great two-story building and topped with a wooden balcony on the second floor. It was built in the 18th century as residence to the Colina Peredo family and takes its name from the family that occupied it since the mid-19th century and which was donated to the nation. It houses the People Earthenware Museum.

Balcón de Bolívar

Monument to the Venezuelan Federation.

Also known as Balcón de los Senior. It served as military headquarters of the patriot forces during the War of Independence. It is said that the Liberator Simón Bolívar stayed there on December 23, 1826 and from the balcony greeted the patriots who gathered outside to greet him. It houses theCoro Art Museum.

Cruz de San Clemente

It is said that St. Clement's Cross marks the spot where the first mass officiate at South America. It is sheltered by a pavilion erected ordered the Marshal Juan Crisóstomo Falcón during his presidential tenure.

Jewish cemetery of Coro

It is the oldest Jewish cemetery in South America.[10] Its origin goes back to the 19th century when the Sephardic Jewish colony of the Dutch island of Curaçao began migrating to the city in 1824. This cemetery is beginning to build in 1832 by Joseph Curiel, who buy land in the vicinity of the town to bury his baby daughter Hana. On this are wonderful mausoleums that reflect the spirit of ancient times.

Iglesia del Carrizal

In this sanctuary is the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe of Carrizal, which according to legend, was rescued in 1723, by Native Americans of the region, of the corian beaches when a vessel sank near the coast of the people. The Natives were shocked to see the perfection of its forms.

La Casa del Sol, en la Calle Federación

Casa del Sol

It is one of Venezuela's oldest houses, its construction dates from the 17th century. Its name comes from the sun located above its door, symbolizing God.

Iglesia San Nicolás de Bari

Which would be located outside the city for a long period. It is located west of the historic centre and was built in 1741, for a lady of the Spanish elite, which, according to a promise, she vowed to build a temple on behalf of Saint Nicholas of Bari.

Arco de la Federación

It is the monument to Marshal Juan Crisóstomo Falcón, a Corian leader during the Federal War and was also President of the Republic from 1863 to 1868.

Church of San Gabriel

House Gumersindo Torres

Plaza Manaure

Xerophytic Garden Dr. Leon Croizat