Pueblo Viejo, Dominican Republic Explained

Official Name:Pueblo Viejo
Settlement Type:Municipality
Pushpin Map:Dominican Republic
Pushpin Relief:1
Coordinates:18.4°N -116°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Dominican Republic
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Azua
Area Total Km2:45.38
Population As Of:2012
Population Total:8251
Population Density Km2:auto

Pueblo Viejo is a municipality (municipio) of the Azua province in the Dominican Republic.

History

The town that is now known as Pueblo Viejo was the place where in 1504 Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, the conqueror of Cuba, founded the colonial town of Azua de Compostela. It was named in honour of one of the first Spanish settlers in the area, Don Pedro Gallego, a native of Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, Spain. The first part of the name is derived from the local Native American name for the area. The old colonial city was destroyed by an earthquake on October the 16th 1751. The settlers of the area moved further North, near the River Road, and established a new town in that area.

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