History of Santa Lucia

The beginnings of Saint Lucia from the year 1764, when in order to stop the Portuguese smuggling and advancement of indigenous over Montevideo, is set in the area a Creole-Spanish fort for that purpose, called "Guard Paraguayans' by be his hometown in the same governorate residents.

In 1781, Francisco Lefty arrive on the scene and accompanied by his family quines would be the first settlers. Days later on 9 November of that same year, by order of the then Viceroy Juan Jose de Vértiz and consent of the owner of the distribution of land, comprising the area since the passage of the stream Canelón Grande to step Boat on occurs Santa Lucia river. In 1783 the first city council is done being the first name of Villa San Juan Bautista. In the same year his legal foundation occurs, although the start of the process begins in 1781.

His first chapel to be called San Juan Bautista, construction began on 1 December 1782, being completed a few months later. Years later, in 1830 the foundation stone of the new church is placed, but this work does not materialize until in 1854 the funds for this purpose are obtained, being the architect Alberto Capurro the director of the play that ended several después7 decades the consecration of the Parroquia San Juan Bautista.

From the year 1862, begin to settle in the town several villas and palaces houses that were characterized by sumptuous homes with large gardens and used for summer, one example is the Lacueva Palace, which was built by the Lacueva family 1866. This leads to the town is considered as the first resort in the country.

In 1872 the rail service reaches the city inaugurated Santa Lucia station. In the same year, on September 1, the first tourist hotel in Uruguay, which until 1920 was called Oriental Hotel, in that year changed its name to The Biltmore Hotel is inaugurated.

On May 15, 1925, by Law 7,837, the Villa San Juan Bautista is elevated to city status and changes its name to the current St. Lucia.

From 1920 tourist activity declines due to the emergence of spas on the coast of Canelones and Maldonado. However from the 1940s it becomes an important industrial area, taking advantage of economic protectionism that the country held until the late 70s.

After the economic opening, this boom came to an end and St. Lucia becomes a service center, around which agriculture develops.