Melo, Uruguay

It is located at the center of the department, on the intersection of Route 7 with Route 8, {{convert|60|km}} south of Aceguá and the border with Brazil. Other primary roads to the city are Route 26 and Route 44.

The stream Arroyo Conventos (a tributary of Tacuarí River) flows by the west limits of the city.

Melo has a humid subtropical climate, described by the Köppen climate classification as Cfa. Summers are warm (with hot days and cool nights) and winters are cool, with frequent frosts and fog. The precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, with an average of 1,241 mm (48.85 in), and the annual average temperature is 17 °C (63 °F).

This city has the lowest recorded temperature in Uruguay, of -11 °C (12.2 °F), on June 14, 1967.{{in lang|es}} [http://www.rau.edu.uy/uruguay/geografia/records.txt Récords meteorológicos del Uruguay], Dirección Nacional de Meteorología. Retrieved 31 December 2010.

{{Weather box

|location = Melo, Cerro Largo (1991–2020, extremes 1937–2020)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high C = 43.0

|Feb record high C = 40.5

|Mar record high C = 40.4

|Apr record high C = 38.0

|May record high C = 32.3

|Jun record high C = 30.2

|Jul record high C = 30.0

|Aug record high C = 35.0

|Sep record high C = 37.0

|Oct record high C = 37.0

|Nov record high C = 38.4

|Dec record high C = 45.0

|year record high C = 45.0

|Jan high C = 30.2

|Feb high C = 29.4

|Mar high C = 27.9

|Apr high C = 24.4

|May high C = 20.4

|Jun high C = 17.7

|Jul high C = 17.1

|Aug high C = 19.3

|Sep high C = 20.3

|Oct high C = 23.1

|Nov high C = 26.1

|Dec high C = 28.9

|year high C = 23.7

|Jan mean C = 23.8

|Feb mean C = 23.3

|Mar mean C = 21.7

|Apr mean C = 18.3

|May mean C = 14.7

|Jun mean C = 12.2

|Jul mean C = 11.6

|Aug mean C = 13.4

|Sep mean C = 14.7

|Oct mean C = 17.5

|Nov mean C = 19.8

|Dec mean C = 22.3

|year mean C = 17.8

|Jan low C = 17.4

|Feb low C = 17.1

|Mar low C = 15.4

|Apr low C = 12.1

|May low C = 8.9

|Jun low C = 6.8

|Jul low C = 6.1

|Aug low C = 7.5

|Sep low C = 9.2

|Oct low C = 12.0

|Nov low C = 13.5

|Dec low C = 15.7

|year low C = 11.8

|Jan record low C = 1.0

|Feb record low C = 3.6

|Mar record low C = 0.0

|Apr record low C = -5.2

|May record low C = -5.9

|Jun record low C = -11.0

|Jul record low C = -9.6

|Aug record low C = -4.8

|Sep record low C = -4.0

|Oct record low C = -3.0

|Nov record low C = 1.2

|Dec record low C = 4.0

|year record low C = -11.0

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 90.4

|Feb precipitation mm = 132.9

|Mar precipitation mm = 100.5

|Apr precipitation mm = 154.9

|May precipitation mm = 120.4

|Jun precipitation mm = 120.7

|Jul precipitation mm = 116.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 110.3

|Sep precipitation mm = 132.8

|Oct precipitation mm = 134.3

|Nov precipitation mm = 99.7

|Dec precipitation mm = 101.2

|year precipitation mm = 1414.1

|Jan humidity = 69

|Feb humidity = 72

|Mar humidity = 74

|Apr humidity = 76

|May humidity = 79

|Jun humidity = 81

|Jul humidity = 79

|Aug humidity = 77

|Sep humidity = 75

|Oct humidity = 74

|Nov humidity = 71

|Dec humidity = 69

|year humidity = 75

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 7

|Feb precipitation days = 7

|Mar precipitation days = 7

|Apr precipitation days = 8

|May precipitation days = 7

|Jun precipitation days = 8

|Jul precipitation days = 7

|Aug precipitation days = 7

|Sep precipitation days = 8

|Oct precipitation days = 9

|Nov precipitation days = 6

|Dec precipitation days = 6

|year precipitation days = 87

|Jan sun = 275.3

|Feb sun = 229.5

|Mar sun = 232.3

|Apr sun = 189.0

|May sun = 169.1

|Jun sun = 141.9

|Jul sun = 159.9

|Aug sun = 184.0

|Sep sun = 179.8

|Oct sun = 205.2

|Nov sun = 252.2

|Dec sun = 274.8

|year sun = 2493.0

|source 1 = Instituto Uruguayo de Metereología{{cite web

| url = https://www.inumet.gub.uy/clima/estadisticas-climatologicas/tablas-estadisticas

| language = es

| title = Estadísticas climatológicas

| publisher = Instituto Uruguayo de Metereología

| access-date = 16 May 2023}}

{{cite web

| url = http://www.rau.edu.uy/uruguay/geografia/records.txt

| title = RECORDS METEOROLOGICOS EN EL URUGUAY

| publisher = Dirección Nacional de Meteorología

| access-date = 16 May 2023

| language = es}}

|source 2 = NOAA (precipitation and sun 1991–2020),{{cite web

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230807220007/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-3-WMO-Normals-9120/Uruguay/CSV/Melo_86440.csv

| archive-date = 7 August 2023

| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-3-WMO-Normals-9120/Uruguay/CSV/Melo_86440.csv

| title = Melo Climate Normals 1991–2020

| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = 7 August 2023}} Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria (humidity 1980–2009){{cite web

| last1=Castaño |first1=José |last2=Giménez |first2=Agustín |last3=Ceroni |first3=Mauricio |last4=Furest |first4=José |last5=Aunchayna |first5=Rossina

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181212202531/http://www.inia.uy/Publicaciones/Documentos%20compartidos/18429021211104157.pdf

| archive-date = 12 December 2018

| url = http://www.inia.uy/Publicaciones/Documentos%20compartidos/18429021211104157.pdf

| language = es

| title = Caracterización Agroclimática del Uruguay 1980–2009

| publisher = Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria

| access-date = 13 December 2018}}

|date=December 2011

}}

File:Pedro_Melo_de_Portugal.jpg, the city's namesake.]]

It was founded on 27 June 1795 by Agustín de la Rosa, an officer to the Spanish Empire.[http://www.cerrolargo.gub.uy/es/web/imcl/cronica History of Melo - from the book of Camilo Urueña González -Crónicas de Cerro Largo 1945 - Official website of Cerro Largo] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005084504/http://www.cerrolargo.gub.uy/es/web/imcl/cronica |date=2011-10-05 }} It was named after Pedro Melo de Portugal, a Spanish colonial official of Portuguese royal ancestry.

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.{{cn|date=February 2023}}

In 1845, the city square was renamed in honor of Manuel Oribe, a former President of Uruguay and a political leader of the White Party (Partido Blanco), which brought 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).

Melo had acquired the status of "Villa" (town) before the Independence of Uruguay. Its status was elevated to "Ciudad" (city) on 22 May 1895 by the Act of Ley Nº 2.3279.{{cite web|url=http://www0.parlamento.gub.uy/leyes/AccesoTextoLey.asp?Ley=09888 |title=LEY N° 9.888 |publisher=República Oriental del Uruguay, Poder Legislativo |date=1995 |access-date=4 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026130455/http://www0.parlamento.gub.uy/leyes/AccesoTextoLey.asp?Ley=09888 |archive-date=26 October 2014 }} It was capital of one of the nine original departments of the Republic.

The historian J.C. Chasteen has discussed the place of Melo in the history of Uruguay in his book Heroes on Horseback: A Life and Times of the Last Gaucho Caudillos.John Charles Chasteen, Heroes on Horseback: A Life and Times of the Last Gaucho Caudillos, University of New Mexico Press. {{ISBN|0-8263-1598-4}}.

File:Juanarosedal.jpg (also known as "Juana de América") in Melo.]]

In 2023 Melo had a population of 56,013 inhabitants.{{cite web|url=http://www.ine.gub.uy/censos2011/resultadosfinales/cuadros/NIVEL%20DEPARTAMENTAL/Cerro%20Largo/P_3_CLA.xls |title=Censos 2011 Cuadros Cerro Largo |date=2012 |publisher=INE |access-date=25 August 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010041650/http://www.ine.gub.uy/censos2011/resultadosfinales/cuadros/NIVEL%20DEPARTAMENTAL/Cerro%20Largo/P_3_CLA.xls |archive-date=10 October 2012 }}

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 |date=2012 |format=PDF |access-date=3 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 }}

There are two museums:

• Juana de Ibarbourou's birthplace
• Regional History Museum

Near Melo is situated the old Posta del Chuy, a stone inn near an ancient bridge over the Chuy del Tacuarí creek.

Melo was visited by Pope John Paul II in 1988. This formed the background to the 2006 film El Baño del Papa (The Pope's Toilet) about an enterprising citizen with the ill-fated idea of making money by building a toilet and charging the hordes of Brazilians expected to visit Melo to see the Pope.

• Cathedral of Our Lady of the Pillar and St. Raphael (Roman Catholic)
• Parish Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Roman Catholic)
• Parish Church of St. Joseph the Worker (Roman Catholic)
• Parish Church of St. Dominic Savio and St. Charles Borromeo (Roman Catholic, Salesians of Don Bosco)
• Jesus Good Shepherd Parish Church (Roman Catholic, Sisters of Santa Dorotea di Cemmo)

• Juana de Ibarbourou (1892-1979), poet
• Saviniano Pérez (1907–1985), politician

• Melo HVDC Back-to-back station

• {{cite book|last=Domínguez|first=Carlos María|author-link=Carlos María Domínguez|title=El norte profundo|year=2004|place=Montevideo|publisher=Ediciones de la Banda Oriental|language=es}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20121010044032/http://www.ine.gub.uy/mapas/censos2011/para%20colgar%20en%20web/pdf/04_UYCL/Localidades/A0H_04220_825_938_987%20Melo%20y%20otras.pdf INE map of Melo, Hipódromo, Barrio López Benítez and Barrio La Vinchuca]

{{Cerro Largo Department}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Populated places in the Cerro Largo Department

Category:Populated places established in 1795