Maldonado, Uruguay

The origin of Maldonado's name dates back to January 1530, when Sebastian Cabot, an Italian explorer, departed for Castilla and left his Lieutenant, Francisco Maldonado, at what became the bay of Maldonado. After the Treaty of Madrid, when they started to divide Spanish and Portuguese properties in that region of America, the military governor of Montevideo, José Joaquín de Viana, suggested to the King that they should establish two populations, one in Maldonado and the other in Minas. In August 1755, still waiting for a response from the King, Viana decided to leave with some families and head towards Portezuelo. It was there that Maldonado was founded. Viana later left the settlement, leaving the inhabitants with animals and sufficient supplies to live. The population survived and grew due to the profits from growing crops and raising livestock.{{cite web|url=http://www.puntadelesteinternacional.com/ciudad-de-maldonado-260-anos-de-historia/|title=Ciudad de Maldonado: 260 Años de Historia|website=Punta del Este Internacional}} When he returned 20 months later, he brought seven indigenous families and incorporated them into the small village to bolster the population. He also moved the settlement to its modern site.{{cite book|url=https://www.welcomeuruguay.com/maldonado/historia.html|title=Exposición de los vecinos de Maldonado al Cabildo de Montevideo sobre la conducta de los ingleses|last1=Francisco|first1=Bauzá|publisher=Humanidades Año VII|location=Documentos de prueba – segunda parte|pages=101–112}}

The buildings that are built around the town square in Maldonado, including the cathedral, are reminiscent of traditional Spanish style, giving evidence that the Spanish royalty was involved in the growth and development of Maldonado.{{cite web|url=https://www.welcomeuruguay.com/maldonado/history.html|title=History of Maldonado|website=Welcome Uruguay}} In May 1783, the population had grown and the villagers gave Don Luis Estremera the power to oversee the creation of a city council, thus legally establishing the city 25 years after Viana had founded it. After years of attempts, on March 14, 1787, an election was held and approved 8 days later, and the City Council of Maldonado was elected and the Town of Maldonado became the City of San Fernando De Maldonado in honor of Ferdinand VI of Spain. With a City Council established, the people of Maldonado could defend their rights as citizens.

It is located on Route 39 and shares borders with Punta del Este to the south, Pinares – Las Delicias to the south and to the east, and suburb La Sonrisa to the north. Together they all form a unified metropolitan area. The next city to the north is San Carlos, only {{convert|13|km}} away on Route 39.

East of the city flows the stream Arroyo Maldonado.

Climate

Maldonado has an oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfb) with mild winters and without snow. The summers are warm (recently hot occasionally), similar to southeastern Australia. By being in the way of the Falkland Current and in the bottleneck of the continent it generates a rare temperate climate typically of the ocean on the east coast. But the city is close to a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), consolidating in the coming decades.{{Cite web|url=https://en.climate-data.org/south-america/uruguay/maldonado/maldonado-3742/|title=Maldonado climate: Average Temperature, weather by month, Maldonado weather averages – Climate-Data.org|website=en.climate-data.org|access-date=2019-02-17}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vividmaps.com/cities-with-similar-climates|title=Find cities with a similar climate|website=Vivid Maps|access-date=2019-02-17}}{{Cite book|title=The global relevance of the Scotia Arc: An introduction|author=Maldonado, Andrés Dalziel |author2=Ian W.D.|author3=Leat, Philip T.|date=February 2015|publisher=Elsevier|oclc=921271043}}

In 2023 the city of Maldonado had a population of 102,000.{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.gub.uy/censos2011/resultadosfinales/maldonado.html |title=Censos 2011 Maldonado (needs flash plugin) |year=2012 |publisher=INE |access-date=25 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120907041445/http://www.ine.gub.uy/censos2011/resultadosfinales/maldonado.html |archive-date=7 September 2012 }} According to the Intendencia Departamnetal de Maldonado, the municipality of Maldonado has a population of 105,000.{{cite web|url=http://www.maldonado.gub.uy/presupuesto-2011-2015/mapas.html |title=Presupuesto-2011-2015 |publisher=Intendencia Departamnetal de Maldonado |year=2012 |access-date=11 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424190540/http://www.maldonado.gub.uy/presupuesto-2011-2015/mapas.html |archive-date=24 April 2011 }}

File:MunMaldMaldo.svg

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.gub.uy/biblioteca/toponimico/Categorizaci%F3n%20localidades%20urbanas%20orden%20alfab%E9tico.pdf |title=Statistics of urban localities (1908–2004) |publisher=INE |year=2012 |format=PDF |access-date=7 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150323054815/http://www.blayney.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/329/3h%20-%20Hobbys%20Yards%20Heritage%20Items.pdf.aspx |archive-date=23 March 2015 }}

Remarkable sights in Maldonado include:

• San Fernando de Maldonado Cathedral, a neoclassic cathedral begun in 1801 and completed in 1895
• Cuartel de Dragones (The Dragoons' Barracks), a Spanish garrison begun in 1771 and completed in 1797
• Torre del Vigia (meaning "tower of vigilance" or, more simply, "watchtower"), built-in 1800 under the direction of Rafael Pérez del Puerto; its function was to inform the authorities of the entrance into Buenos Aires or the approach of any ship to the Río de la Plata
• El Puente de la Barra,{{Structurae | id = 20002210 | title = Puente de la Barra de Maldonado | accessdate = 2009-12-07}} {{coord|34.910904|S|54.872745|W|display=inline}} a stressed ribbon bridge, where the roadbed swoops up, down, and back up and down once more, demonstrating an exceptional economy of material{{Cite web|url=http://www.puntadelestegourmet.com/images/maldonado-uruguay-1.jpg|title=Puente de la Barra de Maldonado}}
• Casapueblo hotel

• Cathedral of St. Ferdinand (Roman Catholic)
• Church of Our Lady of the Remedies (Roman Catholic)
• Church of Our Lady of the Thirty-Three (Roman Catholic)

• Alberto Abdala (1920–1986), Vice President of Uruguay from 1967 to 1972
• Johnny Aquino (born 1978), association football midfielder for Sarmiento de Junín{{Cite web|url=https://www.bdfa.com.ar/jugadores-JOHNNY-EDUARDO-AQUINO-7709.html|title=Ficha Estadistica de JOHNNY AQUINO -johnny eduardo aquino- (perfil, ficha, profile, stats)|website=www.bdfa.com.ar}}
• Martín Campaña (born 1989), goalkeeper for Cerro Largo FC{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/martin-campana/91568/|title=Uruguay – M. Campaña – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}
• Fernando Clavijo (1956–2019), footballer and manager who represented the United States national team and national futsal team{{Cite web |date=February 9, 2019 |title=World Cup Veteran Defender Fernando Clavijo Passes Away At Age 63 |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2019/02/world-cup-veteran-defender-fernando-clavijo-passes-away-at-age-63 |access-date=April 12, 2025 |website=United States Soccer Federation}}

• Maldonado Department Main Urban Centres

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{{Wikivoyage|Maldonado}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080426084453/http://en.fotos.gerstmann.net/v/Uruguay/Maldonado/ Many pictures of Maldonado, Punta del Este, Punta Ballena, Casapueblo, José Ignacio, Piriápolis, La Barra, Sierra De Las Animas]
• [http://www.maldonet.com/ The Maldonado Portal]
• [http://www.discoverpuntadeleste.com/categories/hotels Hotels in Punta del Este, Maldonado]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20121010045318/http://www.ine.gub.uy/mapas/censos2011/para%20colgar%20en%20web/pdf/10_UYMA/Localidades/A0H_10320_821_830_832_925_986%20Maldonado%20y%20otras.pdf INE map of Maldonado, Villa Delia, La Sonrisa, Cerro Pelado, Los Aromos and Pinares-Las Delicias]
• [http://www.maldonado.gub.uy/documentos/pdf/planos-catastrales/maldonado-barrios.pdf Map of the city of Maldonado by the Intendencia]

{{Maldonado Department}}

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Category:Populated places in the Maldonado Department

Category:Populated places established in 1755