Valle de la Pascua

Valle de la Pascua is a valley and city in the state of Guárico in central Venezuela. It is the seat of Leonardo Infante municipality. Its economy is based on agriculture and cattle ranching. Valle de la Pascua is the economic capital of Guárico state, and is often referred as: "La Princesa del Llano" (Princess of the Plains).Population: 86.000 (est. 2001) [cite web|url=http://www.citypopulation.de/Venezuela.html#Stadt_gross|title=Venezuela - City Population - Cities, Towns & Provinces - Statistics & Map|publisher=Citypopulation.de|accessdate=2008-08-17]

History

Valle de la Pascua was founded in the 17th Century as part of the colonization and expansion of the Spanish presence on to the "Alto Llano de Caracas", the name given to the central plains of the then Province of Venezuela, whose capital was Caracas.

In 1726, with the authorization of the government in Caracas, Capitán Francisco Carlos de Herrera, the regional administrator, granted the town of La Aguada de Valle de la Pascua together with the large cattle ranch called Santa Juana de la Cruz, to José Zamora. However the origins of Spanish settlement started with cattle ranches founded by Francisco Zamora Granados and his brother-in-law, Gabriel Sánchez Sajonero, who, the year previously, had arrived from Altagracia de Orituco and settled in the valley with their families, equipment and cattle.

The Law of Territorial Division of Gran Colombia, dated 25 June 1824, divided the Province of Caracas, of the Department of Venezuela, into twelve cantons (counties). Valle de la Pascua was placed in Chaguaramas canton. In 1848, by the presidential order of General José Tadeo Monagas, the Province of Caracas was redivided into four cantons and twenty-seven parishes. The parish of Valle de la Pascua was placed together with the canton capital of Chaguaramas, and the parishes of Chaguramal del Peral, Santa Naría de Ipire, Altamira, Altagracia de Iguana, Espino, Cabruta and Santa Rita de Manapire into Chaguaramas canton. In 1853 the canton of Chaguaramas was divided in two: Chaguaramas and Unare. Chaguaramas kept the town of Chaguaramas, Valle de la Pascua, Espino, Cabruta and Santa Rita de Manapire. [Peter F Anson "Bishops at Large" (London, 1964)]

Candlemas Fairs

In the winter of 1939-1940 during their Candlemas Fiesta, Valle de la Pascua held a Candlemas Fair. That year they had over 15,000 visitors. [ [http://www.lapascuaenlinea.com/asp/historia/detalle.asp?Id=2 Historia:Ferias de la Candelaria] in Spanish] The fairs provide both entertainment and the opportunity to show the products from the region.

Notes

References

::"This article is based in part on material from the Spanish Wikipedia".

External links

* [http://www.mipunto.com/venezuelavirtual/000/002/019/005/001.html "Valle de la Pascua" MiPunto.com] in Spanish;