| Melo | |
|---|---|
  Melo
|
|
| Coordinates: 32°22′S 54°11′W / 32.367°S 54.183°W | |
| Country | Uruguay |
| Department | Cerro Largo Department |
| Founded | 1795 |
| Founder | Agustín de la Rosa |
| Elevation | 80 m (262 ft) |
| Population (2004) | |
| - Total | 50,578 |
| - Demonym | melense |
| postal code | 37000 |
| Area code(s) | +598 64 |
Melo is a city in Uruguay.
Location and population
It is located in north-eastern Uruguay and is the capital of the department of Cerro Largo.
The population is 50,578 inhabitants, according to the 2004 census.
Located in the central area of Cerro Largo, 60 km. west of the border with Brazil, over the edge of Conventos Stream (a branch to the Tacuarí River), this urban settlement can easily be found at km. 387 on the 8th road. Other leading ways to the city are roads 7, 26 and 44.
History
It was Founded on June 27, 1795 by Agustín de la Rosa, an officer to the Spanish Empire.
Given its proximity to some Portuguese colonies in Brazil, the "Melo Village" (in Spanish, "Villa de Melo"), as it was once named; was invaded by Portuguese forces in 1801, 1811, and 1816. With Uruguayan independence, Melo was officially declared capital of the department of Cerro Largo.
In 1845, the city square was rebaptized in honor of Manuel Oribe, a former President of Uruguay and a political leader of the White Party (Partido Blanco), which brought out to light the relations of this corner of the country with that National Movement (the vast majority of its inhabitants have belonged to that same political community).
Near Melo is situated the old Posta del Chuy, a stone inn near an ancient bridge over the Chuy del Tacuarí creek.
The Conventos Stream, which was once used for boat races carried out by the Club Remeros Melo, has become severely polluted over time and was consequently forbidden to public access. Melo is still an old-fashioned city with low buildings.
Melo was visited by the Pope John Paul II in 1988. This formed the background to the 2006 film "El Baño del Papa".
The historian J.C. Chasteen has discussed the place of Melo in the history of Uruguay (see below).
See also
John Charles Chasteen, 'Heroes on Horseback: A Life and Times of the Last Gaucho Caudillos', University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 0826315984.
Coordinates: 32°22′S 54°11′W / 32.367°S 54.183°W
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