colony · South America
Colonia del Sacramento
Origins
In 1680 the Portuguese governor of Rio de Janeiro sent Manuel Lobo to found Colônia do Santíssimo Sacramento on the northern bank of the River Plate, directly across from Buenos Aires. Spain captured it within months, but a treaty of 1681 returned it to Portugal.
Rule and society
Colonia was a fortified town and a base for smuggling: Portuguese and British goods and enslaved Africans flowed into the Spanish territories in exchange for silver from Potosí and hides. Its presence provoked Spain to found Montevideo in 1724. Spanish forces besieged it in 1704, 1735 and 1762. By the Treaty of Madrid of 1750 Portugal agreed to exchange it for the Seven Missions, but the deal collapsed.
Decline and legacy
Pedro de Cevallos captured Colonia for the last time in 1777, and the Treaty of San Ildefonso that year confirmed Spanish possession. It became part of Uruguay. Its historic quarter, with Portuguese and Spanish streets, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (2)
- Colonia del Sacramento was a colony of Portuguese Empire1680 CE – 1777 CE
- Colonia del Sacramento was conquered by Spanish Empire1777 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Colonia del Sacramento. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/colonia-del-sacramento
- MLA
- “Colonia del Sacramento.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/colonia-del-sacramento. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Colonia del Sacramento.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/colonia-del-sacramento.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Colonia del Sacramento’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/colonia-del-sacramento (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻