Gregorio Aznárez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gregorio Aznárez
Village
Gregorio Aznárez Location in Uruguay
Country	Uruguay
Department	Maldonado Department
Population  (2011)
• Total	944
Time zone	UTC -3
Postal code	20302
Dial plan	+598 443 (+5 digits)
Climate	Cfa

Gregorio Aznárez is a small village located in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It's a quiet place with an interesting history, especially linked to the sugar industry in Uruguay.

Where is Gregorio Aznárez?

The village is found in the western part of the Maldonado Department. You can find it along Route 9, about 5 kilometers north of where it meets the Ruta Interbalnearia.

The Story of Gregorio Aznárez

Who was Gregorio Aznárez?

Gregorio Aznárez was born in 1860 in a town called Villa Mendigorria, in Spain. His family moved to Uruguay because of a war happening in Spain at the time.

Starting a Business in Uruguay

When he was 28 years old, Gregorio Aznárez was already involved in many different businesses. He helped with Uruguay's first exports of things like flour, grains, and leather to Brazil. A couple of years later, he started trying to grow new crops like rice and sugar beet.

The Sugar Industry Connection

In 1891, Gregorio Aznárez met an engineer named Luis Torrosella. Luis had permission to refine sugar in Uruguay. He also met Félix Giraud, who set up the first sugar refinery in Montevideo. It was called the Eastern Refinery.

Gregorio Aznárez was asked to find the best place to start growing sugar beet. He spent 50 days riding a horse around different parts of Uruguay, looking for the perfect spot. He finally chose an area in the Maldonado Department.

Why This Location Was Chosen

This area was special because it was protected from "migratory lobsters." These weren't sea lobsters, but a type of insect that used to travel from Brazil and destroy crops. The chosen area was surrounded by the sea and the Sierra de las Animas mountains. These natural barriers stopped the insects from reaching the crops.

Building the Sugar Factory

In 1900, Gregorio Aznárez married Julia Simondino, and they had four children. In the same year, he bought a large piece of land, about two thousand acres. He helped the first farmers settle there and built the first sugar factory. He named it "La Sierra."

Later, his son, Julio Gregorio Aznárez, took over the company. He helped the town become very successful.

How the Village Got Its Name

Gregorio Aznárez passed away in 1959. After his death, the settlement that had grown around the "La Sierra" factory was renamed "Gregorio Aznárez." It was also officially recognized as a "Pueblo," which means a village, by a special law.

This law officially named the village after Gregorio Aznárez.

How Many People Live Here?

In 2011, the village of Gregorio Aznárez had a population of 944 people. Here's how the population has changed over the years:

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística de Uruguay (Uruguay's National Institute of Statistics)

Places to Visit

• Parish Church of the Holy Family (Roman Catholic)

See also

In Spanish: Gregorio Aznárez para niños