Which South American capital was formerly called Nuestra Señora de La Paz? La Paz was founded under that name.
Spanish conquistador Alonso de Mendoza established the city on October 20, 1548, at the instruction of Pedro de la Gasca. The name commemorated the restoration of peace after civil wars among Spanish conquerors in Peru. The settlement was first founded at Laja and moved shortly afterward to the valley of Chuquiago Marka, its present location.
The city’s full official name remains Nuestra Señora de La Paz, although everyday usage shortens it to La Paz. The older Indigenous name, Chuquiago Marka, refers to the area’s pre-colonial identity and is sometimes mistakenly treated as the city’s Spanish-era name. La Paz is Bolivia’s seat of government, while Sucre is the country’s constitutional capital—a distinction that often causes quiz confusion.