Sucre was founded in 1538 as Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo. The Bolivian capital began as a Spanish colonial settlement in the Charcas region, near the Indigenous community of Chuquisaca. Historical sources differ over the precise founding date and the roles of Gonzalo Pizarro and Pedro Anzures, but the city identified by this colonial name is Sucre.
The settlement was also known as La Plata and Chuquisaca before being renamed Sucre in 1839, in honor of independence leader Antonio José de Sucre. Its location made it important: it served as the administrative center of the Audiencia of Charcas and was close to the rich silver mines of Porco and Potosí.
Sucre later became a major center of learning and politics. The Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de Chuquisaca was founded in 1624 and played a role in South American independence movements. A common mix-up is La Paz, Bolivia’s seat of government; Sucre remains the country’s constitutional capital and judicial center.