Villa Soriano is a town in the
Soriano Department
Soriano () is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Mercedes. It is located on the west of the country, south of Río Negro Department, north of Colonia Department and west of Flores Department. Its western border is the Río Uruguay, sepa ...
of
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
. Historically, it was also known as Santo Domingo de Soriano. It had acquired the status of "Villa" (town) before the Independence of Uruguay.
[
]
Geography
It is located on the northwest end of Route 96, on the south bank of the river Río Negro, before it discharges into Río Uruguay
The Uruguay River ( ; ) is a major river in South America. It flows from north to south and forms parts of the boundaries of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, separating some of the Argentine provinces of La Mesopotamia from the other two countr ...
.
History
In 1624, a Franciscan Mission established a village for the indigenous tribes of the area named Santo Domingo de Soriano. It constituted the first permanent European settlement on Uruguayan soil, predating the foundation of Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento (; ) is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay and the capital of the Colonia Department. As of the 2023 census, it has a populatio ...
by more than fifty years. It was moved to its current location in 1708. The construction of its church began in 1751.
The town has strong associations with General José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas Arnal (; June 19, 1764 – September 23, 1850) was a soldier and statesman who is regarded as a national hero in Uruguay and the father of Uruguayan nationhood.
Born in Montevideo, Artigas enlisted in the Spanish ...
, who is honoured by Uruguayans
Uruguayans () are people identified with the country of Uruguay, through citizenship or descent. Uruguay is home to people of different ethnic origins. As a result, many Uruguayans do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizen ...
as the 19th century liberator of the country.
Population
In 2011, Villa Soriano had a population of 1,124.
Places of worship
* St. Dominic Soriano Chapel (Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
)
See also
* Soriano Department
Soriano () is a department of Uruguay. Its capital is Mercedes. It is located on the west of the country, south of Río Negro Department, north of Colonia Department and west of Flores Department. Its western border is the Río Uruguay, sepa ...
* History of Uruguay
The history of Uruguay comprises different periods: the pre-Columbian time or early history (up to the 16th century), the Colonial Period (1516–1811), the Period of Nation-Building (1811–1830), and the history of Uruguay as an independent c ...
References
External links
https://www.villasoriano.com/ Page documenting the founding of Villa Santo Domingo Soriano, Uruguay, in 1624. Based on Wilde Marotta's book and Federico Marotta's research work.
Official site of Villa Soriano
Villa Soriano, Uruguay
INE map of Villa Soriano and La Loma
Populated places in the Soriano Department
Populated places established in 1624
{{Soriano-geo-stub