Petare Parish
Petare is a Venezuelan population of recent Colombian origin, located in the capital of the Sucre municipality of Miranda state and one of the 32 parishes of the Caracas metropolitan area. According to the INE Census in 2011, Petare had a population of 372,106 inhabitants and some 448,861 according to 2020 estimates.
Etymology
The word «petare» has its origin in the words «pet» and «are», both belonging to the spoken Caribbean language by the Mariche Indians, pre-Columbian inhabitants of the current area east of Caracas. These two words mean «face» and «river» respectively, which allows us to conclude that Petare means «in front of the river», in clear allusion to the geographical situation of the founding nucleus, located on the banks of the Guaire river (main body of water in the Caracas valley) and the Caurimare ravine.
History
Colonial Period
On February 17, 1621, Captain Pedro Gutiérrez de Lugo and Father Gabriel de Mendoza founded the town of Dulce Nombre de Jesús de Petare, on a small hill bordered by the El Oro ravine and the Caurimare and Guaire rivers.
The Mariches, an indigenous group belonging to the Caribbean linguistic family, inhabited these lands until 1573, when their main cacique, Cacique Tamanaco, died at the hands of the Spanish conquistador Pedro Alonso Galeas. From then on, the subjugation of the aborigines began and the distribution of the first parcels by Diego de Losada, Juan Gallegos, Sebastián Díaz Alfaro and Francisco Fajardo.
According to the usage of the time, the colonizers, most of them from the Canary Islands, built the town following the square shape of the central square, around which they located the church, the first public buildings, the market and the family homes most notable.
In the fertile Mariche Valley, coffee, cocoa, corn and sugar cane farms proliferated; the latter was processed in the nearby mills to extract the sweet papelón and the bitter brandy. These crops supplied food not only to the inhabitants of Dulce Nombre de Jesús, but also to their neighbors in Caracas. Among the most important were La Bolea, Los Marrones, La Urbina, Los Ruices, El Marqués, Macaracuay and Güere-Güere (today La California Norte urbanization).
The fertility of the soil and the pleasant climate attracted outstanding personalities from Caracas. Andrés Bello, José Félix Ribas, José Antonio Rodríguez Domínguez, Manuel de Clemente and Francisco de Berroterán (Marqués del Valle de Santiago) were part of the select group of guests who acquired properties for cultivation and rest.
Los Caminos Reales also contributed to the development of the local economy. This important network of roads formed a junction in Petare, making the small town an obligatory stop for travelers and merchants traveling from Caracas, Baruta and El Hatillo to Guarenas and Mariches. Right where these routes converged, a dynamic exchange of agricultural products and general merchandise took place. The site later took the name of Los Portales. Among the Caminos Reales, the one that linked Caracas with Petare stood out and that from the Santa Rosa ravine passed to Sabana Grande (via Calle Real de Sabana Grande [Chacao]), Los Dos Caminos, Boleita and Petare itself, that is, the which is known as the colonial center of the city. Almost unchanged, this Camino Real de Petare became, around the middle of the XX century, Francisco de Miranda avenue, making it which explains its layout, with quite smooth curves, but without rectilinear sections (it is the same thing that happens in New York with Broadway avenue, which is the only street that is not rectilinear in the city because it is the old colonial road that united the North with the South of the island of Manhattan).
The social structure was made up of four segments: slaves (blacks), common people (peasants, cart drivers, artisans, and indigenous people), merchants (shopkeepers and grocers), and landowners. This order remained practically unchanged for centuries. It was a wealthy society, not aristocratic, but it did have sufficient financial resources to acquire valuable objects and undertake ambitious projects, such as the Dulce Nombre de Jesús Church and the Santa María Magdalena Chapel.
Republican Period (19th Century)
The peace and prosperity enjoyed by the people of Petares during the XVIII century were cut short by the events that forged the independence of Venezuela, especially those that brought the First and Second Republics to an end: the earthquake of 1812 and the emigration to the Orient in 1814. The peasants abandoned the fields to avoid being recruited into the fighting armies, a fact that caused the bankruptcy of the agricultural industry and the shortage of food.
At that time the political status of Petare also changed. The Pueblo de Doctrina de Indios became a Corregimiento, an organ dependent on the government of Caracas. Then it received the title of Canton in 1822, according to the Law of October 2, 1821, whose article 42 established the formation of its first Cabildo. Around 1863, the cantons became Municipalities. That same year, Petare became the capital of the Urbaneja District and later the capital of the Bolivar Sovereign State in 1872.
Little by little, economic well-being returned to the town thanks, once again, to the work in the fields, which constituted the support of the community until well into the century XX. Political vicissitudes and epidemics had little effect on this resurgence of agricultural activity. At the end of the XIX century, there were 115 coffee haciendas, 15 mills and many other crops of corn and vegetables, as well as plots for raising cattle, chickens and pigs.
Advances in public services sealed the end of the century. In 1880 an aqueduct was built and the telegraph came into operation, which allowed communications with the rest of the country. Two years later, a new device was tested for the first time in our history: the telephone. Gerardo Borges brought the first microphone telephones to Venezuela to place them in a couple of stations located between Caracas and Petare. Once the rehearsals were over, the then president, Antonio Guzmán Blanco, made the inaugural call, after which he expressed his astonishment and satisfaction, saying that the communication was so good that he could feel the breath of his compadre. located on the other side of the line.
The Gran Ferrocarril de Venezuela Company also carried out the section of rails from Caracas to Petare, commissioned by the Illustrious American, whose inauguration took place on September 4, 1886. The final stop was located in the current Calle Las Tunitas, but later, the line advanced in the direction of Santa Teresa.
In 1897, Petare was the first town in the capital's valley to enjoy electricity, thanks to its proximity to the El Encantado plant. All these important events were duly reviewed by local newspapers, such as "El Ávila" (1882), "El Civismo" (1887), "El Petarense" (1892-1898), "El Porvenir" (1890-1891) and "El Orbe » (1891-1894).
Contemporary Period (XX and XXI Centuries)
The XX century began with a new political order for Petare. In 1904, the capital of Miranda state was transferred to Ocumare del Tuy, so Petare became the head of the Sucre Department of the Eastern Section of the Federal District, until seven years later it was named capital of the Sucre District of the state. Miranda.
Until the decade of the 50s, approximately, the people of Caracas frequented the town and its surroundings, seduced by the beautiful landscape of planted fields and clear rivers, the bucolic image of the colonial-style houses and the mild temperatures between 23 and 25 degrees. Among the illustrious visitors were the writer Teresa de La Parra, who spent a few seasons at the Hacienda Güere-Güere; and Tito Salas, a painter who chose as his residence the El Toboso mansion next to the Baloa bridge on the Tuy railway line, where he organized meetings for his friends, Andrés Eloy Blanco and Isaías Medina Angarita.
Between 1954 and 1957, the first important change in the physiognomy of the place took place by virtue of the construction of Francisco de Miranda avenue, the Battaglia building, the Pérez de León Emergency Hospital, the José de Jesús Arocha Municipal School and the La Vega blocks, works carried out during the dictatorship of General Marcos Pérez Jiménez.
The democratic era brought more profound transformations: public services such as transportation, education, health, electricity and water were expanded and improved for the benefit of the community. However, a violent process of human growth also began, fostered by the substitution of extensive plantations for modern housing estates, industrial zones, and poor neighborhoods.
Concerned about the avalanche of progress, the authorities decided to protect the old town of Petare, which kept its buildings, homes and public spaces almost intact. In this sense, on August 2, 1960, the Venezuelan State declared the Dulce Nombre de Jesús Church and the Santa María Magdalena Chapel National Historical Monuments, according to Official Gazette No. 26,320.
Likewise, the Municipal Chamber of the Sucre District created, through a resolution of October 29, 1964, the Historic Center of Petare, in order to preserve this urban area, rich in testimonies of the cultural identity of Venezuela. Its limits retake the original space occupied by the old town and its buildings were subject to special construction regulations.
Despite these measures, the sector has suffered the demolition and modification of its old buildings, due to the indiscriminate establishment of commercial premises and transport stops to serve the huge population of the neighboring urbanizations and neighborhoods. The constant transit of this immense number of people has resulted in the collapse of public services and the proliferation of previously unknown social ills. In 1990, Petare became the capital of the Sucre Municipality and the census of that same year counted 500,800 residents. However, anarchy persists in the area, since Petare is considered a "Red Zone", due to its crime rates and the marginal culture of the people who live in said sector, the sector is home to retrograde people, marginal, with very low IQ and delinquents.
Once again in pursuit of its salvation, on August 31, 1993, the Sucre Municipal Council issued the Ordinance for the Conservation and Development of the Historic Center of Petare, a document that regulates the use of buildings and dictates the creation of a special board for the safeguarding and revitalization of the area.
Finally, on October 7, 2000, the Miranda State Legislative Council declared the colonial center a Historical, Cultural and Tourist Center, a resolution establishing the creation of a commission made up of public and private representatives, whose mission is to prepare a recovery plan for the sector, also including the house of Tito Salas and Trapiche Arvelo. The results of this latest resolution remain to be seen.
Demographics
Petare initially was an independent city, and then a bedroom in Caracas, until recognized as incorporated into the Metropolitan Area of Caracas in the middle of the century XX , always with prosperous growth, being so close to the city of Caracas. By 1961 it had 177 631 inhabitants, increasing to 557 039 in 1990 and 675 254 in the year 2000, although it is considered that with its area of influence, mostly composed of informal neighborhoods that extend even through the Cauguita parishes, La Piss and Mariches this number could be superior. According to the INE census in 2011, only the parish Petare had a population of 372 106 inhabitants and about 448 861 according to estimates of 2020.
The adjacencies of its central helmet constitute an important commercial area, due to the large number of sellers and consumers it concentrates. As mentioned earlier, around this nucleus about 2000 unplanned neighborhoods were formed, most of them inhabited by low -income people.
Sectors
In the Petare area, especially in the reliefs found to the east and southeast of the municipality, there are several sectors that are also part of it such as: agriculture, May 1, the carpenter, neighborhood The Nazarene, El Morro, Balkara, Maca, La Línea, El Carmen, El Obelisco, La Machaca, Las Brisas, El Chorrito, San Blas, The Invasion, The Hollow, The Moving, Las Praderas, The Mirador del Este, The Tank, Pablo VI, Buena Vista, San Miguel, April 19, El Torre, San José, October 12, Pumarros July and July 24. These sectors are formed by informal housing, with quite precarious urban services and are characterized by their high level of marginality, their congestion and even overcrowding, with few and poor urban roads.
In the surroundings of the colonial center of the city, on the other hand, there are planned urbanizations, such as: Palo Verde, Urbanization Leoncio Martínez (Las Vegas de Petare), El Llanito, Lomas del Ávila, Colinas de La California, La California (North and South), Terrazas del Ávila, Colinas de Los Ruices, El Marqués, Macaracuay and Miranda. These urbanizations concentrate a higher quality in their public services and their inhabitants have, significantly, greater economic resources than the inhabitants of the sector of the east and southeast already mentioned. Some urbanizations have industrial and commercial zones that complete the total extension of the Sucre municipality, standing out: La Urbina (North and South), Horizonte, among others.
Education
Similarly, in its periphery there are also three important private universities in Caracas: the Santa María University, the Metropolitan University and the Monteávila University. Likewise, the Santiago Mariño Polytechnic University Institute, Caracas Extension, on Calle 10 of La Urbina (which graduates Architects and Engineers) and the Antonio José de Sucre University Institute of Technology (which graduates university senior technicians in various specialties). In addition to the Jesús Obrero University Institute "IUJO" (Fe y Alegría), this is an extension of the main headquarters in Catia, located in the town of Mesuca, and the José Manuel Siso Martínez Pedagogical Institute of Miranda, which belongs to the Experimental Pedagogical University. Libertador (UPEL) which offers different specialties of the teaching career such as: Comprehensive Education, Technical and Industrial Education, Physical Education, Initial Education, Spanish Language and Literature, Mathematics and Physics, located at the end of the Main Avenue of the Urbina.
Historic Center of Petare
The Petare Historic Center is located in the easternmost section of the Caracas Valley, on an elevation of 840 m s. n. m. , decisive characteristic that induced the Spanish conquerors to choose the square as an ideal site for the foundation of the people of Docrina del Dulce de Jesús de Petare on February 17, 1621. The uniqueness of the orthogonal layout of their closed structure streets (topped perpendicularly on facades); Its authenticity (defined by the morphology and constructive elements of its houses) and the social value of a deeply rooted community, of a defined historical and cultural personality, constitute sufficient reasons to consider it as a legitimate national cultural well that invites the adventure of knowing and Enjoy it. In its 26 apples that occupy an area of just over 10 hectares, a series of buildings and public spaces with high heritage and environmental value are located, such as:
- Church Sweet Name of Jesus: built from 1621, after the foundations where it should be built were blessed by Father Gabriel of Mendoza, the day the people were founded. By the technical and morphological characteristics, by the materials used and by its decoration, this temple represents an indicative example of an era, the colony, characterized in Venezuela by a type of architecture that goes beyond the evident simplicity of its baroque style, is proposed as an autonomous phenomenon regarding the contemporary currents of the American world. The richness of its altarpieces, images, painting and goldsmithy make it a true artistic and architectural richness deserving the title of National Historical Monument.
- Chapel Santa Maria Magdalena: On the initiative of Don Marcos Joseph Tovar, on March 19, 1785, this National Historical Monument, dedicated to Santa María Magdalena, on the Petareño site of Calvary, which then takes its popular name from Capilla del Calvario.
- Casa de Los León: House built in the early centuryXIX by the Lion family, direct descendants of one of the precursors of our political independence. Inhabited for a long time by great men and women of the Lion family such as Baltazar León and Ana Francisca Pérez de León.
- Museum of Popular Art of Petare: inaugurated on 22 February 1984 by the Municipal Council of the Sucre District, is located in the case of the Clemente del Valle family, relatives of the procer of the Lino de Clemente independence. This Museum has the most varied sample of popular art.
- José Ángel Lamas Foundation (Fundalamas): Founded in 1983, it is responsible for the preservation and investigation of the heritage of the municipality, the formation of actors and theatrical groups, the custody and management of bibliographic and hemerographic documentary sources, through its four entes adscritos: Centro de Historia Regional, the Museo de Arte Popular Bárbaro Rivas de Petare, the Escuela de Teatro Porfirio Rodríguez and the Technical Office of Heritage
- Casa Parroquial: neighbor of the municipal palace is testimony of the colonial civil architecture of the late centuryXVIII. It was made by order of Don Antonio Xeldler.
- Municipal Council: Town Hall building, beginning to be built at the end of the centuryXIX, being transformed on multiple occasions and following a clear neoclassical line.
- Callejón Z: it was built before the need for the opening of a communication route from the lower part bordering the Caurimare River. With the construction of the bridge of the Tunitas on this channel and the proliferation of houses on the sides of the road was formed for many years as the Royal Road of Petare.
- Bigott Foundation: Since 1982 it has been responsible for the dissemination, rescue and promotion of Venezuelan popular culture, it has 12 classrooms and a documentation center with the best titles on Venezuelan popular culture. They also sell the publications and discs produced by the company. In 2000 they are established in the Historic Center of Petare in front of Plaza Sucre.
- House of Culture Jerman U. Lira: created in 1960 by decree of the Municipal Council, its director, Hernán Guerrero, began to develop cultural promotion activities for the community through public shows, music classes, painting, among other activities.
- Plaza Sucre: Old main square in times of the foundation of the village at the beginning of the centuryXIX, this square has had several names, first it was called Plaza Antonio Guzmán Blanco, later it is chosen as an element and place of recognition of a town the great Mariscal of Ayacucho Antonio José de Sucre.
- House of room of the painter Tito Salas: he was in the hacienda El Toboso, the original core of the group whose house dates from about 200 years, at a time he housed a convent. Since 1932 it was the residence of the illustrious painter Tito Salas and his family. House built at the end of the 1950s by artisans with Spanish materials based on Spanish architecture. By November 11, 2013, a group of neighbors and cultors from the area were given to the task of the rescue of the house that was abandoned and for some reason The Ministry of Culture was not visible, The cultres belonging to the Artists of Petare, Artisans and poets of the House of La Poesía Luis Felipe Moreno were given to the task of the rescue, with the participation of the council Comunal Pet-Are and the Coor
- Sacred Heart Square of Jesus of Petare: this square is located in the place where before was the Lino Square of Clemente and Las Madres, just at the Redoma de Petare at the end of Francisco de Miranda Avenue. Inaugurated by Mayor Bermúdez in 2000, under the pontificate of Juan Pablo II in the year of the Jubilee two thousand, being Archbishop of Caracas the Monsignor Ignacio Velasco and Apostolic Nuncio Monsignor Leonardo Sandri
The population of Petare is located in the easternmost point of the metropolitan area of Caracas, being the main exit to the populations of Guarenas, Santa Lucía and the east of the country. Petare is connected to the rest of the city through the Francisco Fajardo highway and Avenida Boyacá known by its inhabitants as Cota Mil (Avenida Boyacá) together with the Metro system (with its stations in Petare and Palo Verde, belonging to line 1).
Parks
The Petare parish has numerous parks, the most prominent being El Ávila National Park, which occupies a large part of the north of the parish (approximately 24 square kilometers). Other parks include Rómulo Gallegos Recreational Park, Panaquire Park, Miguel Otero Silva Park, Miguel José Sanz Park, Yare Park, La Llovizna Park and many more.
El Ávila National Park
Within the jurisdiction of the Petare Parish of the Sucre Municipality are part of the protected natural attractions of the El Ávila National Park (about 25.8 square kilometers of the total) Among them the Naiguata Peak, the El Anfiteatro sector, the dishes del Diablo, the Arepa Sector, Rancho Grande, the Topo Dos Banderas, the El Edén Viewpoint, the Julia sector, among others.
Sports
Petare FC
Petare Fútbol Club is a Venezuelan soccer team established in the city of Caracas, which currently plays in the Second Division of Venezuela. It plays at the UCV Olympic Stadium, founded on August 18, 1948 as Deportivo Italia Fútbol Club. In July 2010 the team was transferred to the Petare parish to be renamed Deportivo Petare. The change was made due to the low attendance registered at the matches, seeking to make a name that would reach more fans.
The team has won five championships in the Venezuelan First Division and has also been 3 times champion of the Copa Venezuela (1961, 1962 and 1970), achieving the famous Little Maracanazo of Deportivo Italia in 1971.
Transportation
The jurisdiction of the Petare Parish is crossed by important communication routes in Caracas, such as the Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho Highway, Río de Janeiro Avenue, Rómulo Gallegos Avenue, the Petare Santa Lucía Highway, (Petare Guarenas Highway), the Francisco Fajardo Highway and Boyacá Avenue. In addition to being served by several stations of Line 1 of the Caracas Metro, El Cabletren and El Metrocable de Caracas. Several bus lines run through its territory reaching the most popular sectors of the area.
Featured Places
- Cross of El Morro (Caracas)
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