Sucre and Potosi

Sucre, founded in 1538, is the capital city of Bolivia.  It is a colonial city bursting with history containing centuries-old churches, ancient buildings and museums filled with priceless colonial paintings, furniture and religious figures.   Home to the San Francisco Xavier University, which is the second oldest university in South America and the first to start a medical school, UNESCO has declared it "The Historical and Cultural Legacy of Mankind".

Potosi was founded in 1545 and is situated at the foot of Cerro Rico ("Rich Hill"), a hill in which silver was first discovered in 1544.  In 1672, a mint was established to coin silver and reservoirs were built to fulfil the growing population's needs. At that time more than 86 churches were built and the city's population increased to nearly 200,000, making it one of the largest and wealthiest cities in Latin America and  famous around the world for its silver mines, magnificent architecture and extravagance. There is a popular saying that its Rich Mountain has produced enough silver to build a solid bridge from Potosi to Madrid.  The wooden machinery of the Royal Mint is still perfectly conserved and the city is today a living museum of the colonial period.