SORIANO

About Soriano

The Franciscan brothers founded the Indian settlement "San Francisco de olivares" later called "Villa Soriano" which was the first village in this territory. Then it became the capital city of the province. Later Mercedes became its capital in 1857. This city had witnessed the fierce battles during the "Guerra Grande" had had received a flow of Portuguese and Argentinean immigrants.

When it became a city, Mercedes grew thanks to the cooperation of the Italian immigrants and with the construction of the port.

Several "salting places" and a small industry gave origin to the economic development. The new century, with the new technology offered Mercedes a cultural and industrial growth.

Today, is it a prosperous agricultural city where cattle breeding are one of the main activities.

In "Independencia" square, there is a monument in the memory of "Gaucho de Asencio" by Zorrilla de San Martin and opposite is the splendid cathedral, one of the most beautiful temples of the republic.

Artist like Blanes Viale and Carlos F Saez were all born in Mercedes and the library Eusebio Gomez, containing more than 35000 volumes, shows its cultural development.

Soriano offers places of historical interest and tourists attractions such as: Castillo Mauna (1882), a neoclassic building surrounded by a splendid wild park, the church "Villa Soriano", a real colonial relic and Agraciada beach, where an obelisk was erected in the memory of the 33 patriots who disembarked on that beach to liberate the country. Dolores was the first city to gain its freedom. It was the birthplace of two Uruguayan presidents: Tomas Gomensoro and Tomas Villalba.

The cultivation of cereals, beets, and cattle breeding are the main concern of this province. There are other important industries such as textiles, paper, flour and dairy products.

The construction of the third hydroelectric dam "Constitucion" in the area called "Paso del Palmar" has given Soriano an artificial lake, the view of which can be enjoyed from the Parador Municipal. The waters of the river "Hum" as the Indians used to call "Rio Negro" were thought to have extraordinary powers. Today the miracle is found in the beauty offered by the many islands, the forests, the shelter and the moorings found in this river.

Water sports and fishing are activities patronized by the club "el Ayui" and "el Surbi". The locals also practice other sports such as hinting, cycling and football.