Mercedes (Uruguay)

Partial view of the flooded city.

The city of Mercedes is the capital of the department of Soriano, Uruguay. It has a population of more than 50,000 inhabitants.

Location

The city is located to the north of the department of Soriano, on the left bank of the Río Negro, and at the crossroads of national routes 2, 21 and 14.

History

It was founded in 1788 by the Presbyter Manuel Antonio de Castro y Careaga under the name Capilla Nueva de las Mercedes.

During the English invasions, Manuel Belgrano, a hero from the River Plate, took refuge from the invaders in this eastern town.

It was in the vicinity of this city where -under the leadership of Pedro Viera and Venancio Benavidez- the so-called Grito de Asencio took place, an event that gave rise to the oriental revolution. Then, the caudillo and military chief Artigas established his headquarters there in the current Nuestra Señora Del Huerto school, and in front of there, in the current Plaza Independencia, he issued his vibrant Proclamation of Mercedes on April 11, 1811.

It was declared the city and capital of the department of Soriano on July 6, 1857, being preceded by Villa Soriano.

In 1857 the first theater in the city also began to function and circulated the first newspaper of the department and of the entire interior of Uruguay, which was produced by the De María brothers and the La Constancia Society. During the revolutions of 1863 to 1865 and from 1870 to 1872, the city suffered successive occupations. Finally after the 1870s, peace came to the city, which led to its growth. By the year 1890, an important immigration current had arrived in the area, mostly of Italian origin and who mainly dedicated themselves to commerce and farms. These immigrants gathered in the current Italia Chico neighborhood around the Italian Society. The port of Mercedes that had been built in 1867 by Máximo Pérez allowed the arrival of a significant number of cargo ships, especially from Buenos Aires, from where commercial products arrived, as well as tourism that was attracted by the fame of the healthy Black River.

In 1868 the city suffered a cholera epidemic, which reduced a quarter of its population, followed in 1884 by the smallpox epidemic. In those years, the city had four salting rooms, saddlery shops abounded, there were four breweries, several sawmills, shipyards, candle and soap factories, tinsmiths and some silversmiths and blacksmiths. This considerable number of industries was favored by the distance of Mercedes from Montevideo.

The crisis of 1890 also affected Mercedes and the entire department of Soriano, at which time the currency devalued by 60%, there was a delay in the payment of wages, the farm suffered the loss of a significant number of sheep and virtually the entire industry came to a standstill. However, the beginning of the XX century brought important changes to the city. Among them the arrival of the telegraph, electric light and the cinema. On December 15, 1901, the railway that connected it with Montevideo arrived. Subsequently, the wide boulevard was built over the Negro River, and finally the church raised its two towers. At that time, many of the cottage industries that had proliferated in the second half of the previous century ceased to function, and from 1940 some companies began to emerge, such as the Pamer paper mill, a noodle shop, a milk pasteurization plant, and the production of dairy products, some mills, brickyards, sawmills, foundries, pork product factories and an important beet mill, which brought employment for a significant number of farmers and workers. Since 1930, with the construction of route 2, and the beginning of passenger transport by bus, the link with the city of Montevideo was strengthened.

In 1959 work began on the road-rail bridge over the Río Negro (until then the river was crossed by raft). The bridge was inaugurated on November 3, 1963, although the railway that connects Mercedes with Fray Bentos was laid at the end of the 1970s.

Today, all these historical events are remembered through the emblematic "Gaucho de Asencio", a significant monument made by the Uruguayan sculptor José Luis Zorrilla de San Martín, and located in its current location in 1942 and declared a National Historic Heritage in 1976.

Between March 31, 1977 and April 20, 1979, the construction and subsequent inauguration of the Mercedes-Ombucito railway section was carried out, a strategic connection that reduced the railway distances between Montevideo and Montevideo by more than 200 km. Friar Bentos. Said structure continues standing and in good conditions despite the fact that a passenger train has not transited since 1985 nor a cargo train since 1998.

Population

According to the 2011 census, the city of Mercedes had a population of 41,975 inhabitants.

Economy

The largest soybean producer in the country.

Places of interest

Mauá Baron Station Helmet

Maua Castle

It is one of the main vestiges that remain of the business activity of the Baron and Viscount of Mauá in Uruguay. It is the ranch house of the extensive properties that the businessman acquired in the department of Soriano between 1857 and 1859, as financial support for Banco Mauá, which he inaugurated at the same time in Montevideo. The building is located to the west of the city of Mercedes, a few meters from the Negro River. The building has the classic horseshoe structure, characteristic of rural areas, and is built around a large rectangular patio. This building houses the Alejandro Berro Paleontological Museum.

Our Lady of Mercy Cathedral

Work of the Swiss architect Antonio Petrochi, inaugurated in 1867, it houses the image of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, patron saint of the city.

The Negro river and its boulevard

This city has a great tourist attraction for lovers of sailing, with more than 10 piers located at strategic points on the coast of Mercedes; visitors from Argentina and Brazil meet annually the "coqueta del Hum"

On the Isla del Puerto, which is linked by a footbridge to the city, is located the “del Hum” campsite, belonging to the Soriano municipal government, which has various services and amenities. The footbridge bears the name of the Uruguay-Argentina Confraternity Bridge.

One of its main attractions is the coastal boulevard with beautiful green spaces, which is very popular with the local population. Its origin dates from 1912, it is characterized by being landscaped in a French style, in it you can find various plant species: mulberry trees, araucarias, pines, ceibos, ibirapitas, laurels, rose bushes and palm trees. It also has a wide variety of sculptures, statues, busts and stelae that decorate it.

On the coast of the river is also located the Club Remeros de Mercedes, a traditional institution that organizes regattas in the Negro River, the historic fishing club "El Ayuí" is also located meters from the bridge, known for its views of the river and picnic and food areas.

Eusebio Giménez Art Gallery

It is located on the second floor of what is known as the Municipal Library; In it you can find works by national authors such as Pedro Figari, José Cuneo, Carlos Federico Sáez, as well as European impressionists, and even paintings from the XII century .

Other attractions

The central area of Mercedaria is dedicated to commercial activity with historical establishments. Of interest are the old building of the Italian Society; the Municipal House of Culture (former Spanish Orfeón); Casapuerta (the main center for handicrafts in the region) and the ruins of Calera Real (remains of buildings from the XVIII century).

In 2010 the construction of the sports complex in the city of Mercedes was completed, it is a track that is used in competitions by various racing categories. It is located 3 km west of the city.

Transportation

Bus service

The city is connected with several neighboring cities and with Montevideo through regular bus services. These leave and arrive at the bus terminal located in the southern part of the city, in front of Plaza Artigas.

Mercedes Terminal Shopping, located in the geographic center of the city, this building was previously the headquarters of the Infantry Battalion No. 5 Grito de Asencio, in front of the terminal we find Plaza Artigas, which was known as La Plaza Nueva.

Roads

Route 2 in Mercedes

The city is connected by four national routes:

• Route 2: communicates it with the cities of Fray Bentos, Cardona and Rosario and connects with route 1 to Montevideo.
• Route 14: connects it to the cities of Trinidad and Durazno.
• Route 21: connects it to the cities of Dolores, New Palmira, Carmelo and Cologne.
• Route 95: steep 3 km south of the city with route 21 and has as its destination the town of Villa Soriano.

Airport

Mercedes has one airport, the Ricardo Detomasi Airport.

Culture

Mercedes has a rich cultural tradition, strongly driven by the links it had with the city of Buenos Aires through the Negro River. Among its many plastic artists, Carlos Federico Sáez and Pedro Blanes Viale stand out, being able to appreciate some of their works in the Eusebio Giménez Art Gallery.

Since 2007, the "Jazz a la Calle" festival has been held annually, bringing together musicians from both Uruguay and Argentina, Brazil, Cuba and the United States; which has generated a wide cultural repercussion in the region.

Climate

The city of Mercedes, like the rest of the country, enjoys a humid subtropical climate (Cfa, according to the Köppen climate classification), with an average annual temperature of 17.3 °C.

Mercedes average climate parameters
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Average temperature (°C)	31.1	29.8	27.1	23.5	19.8	16.5	16.6	18.2	20.3	23.2	26.2	29.3	23.5
Average temperature (°C)	24.3	23.3	20.9	17.2	13.9	10.9	11.1	12.1	13.9	16.8	19.8	22.8	17.3
Temp. medium (°C)	17.5	17.2	14.8	11.3	8.0	5.7	6.0	6.2	7.7	10.5	13.1	16.0	11.2
Total precipitation (mm)	100	153	127	91	85	60	70	65	85	102.	91	104	1130
Precipitation days (≥ 1mm)	5	6	6	5	5	5	5	5	5	6	6	5	64
Relative humidity (%)	61	61	72	76	79	87	86	75	74	76	64	60	73
Source: DNM Uruguay average 1960-1990