The Venezuela Province (or Province of Caracas) was a province of the
Spanish Empire (from 1527), of
Gran Colombia (1824–1830) and later of
Venezuela (from 1830), apart from an interlude (1528–1546) when it was contracted as a concession by the King of Spain to the German
Welser banking family, as
Klein-Venedig.
Colonial history
This article is missing information about the colony's transformation into
Klein-Venedig. Please expand the article to include this information. Further details may exist on the
talk page.(April 2018)
It has its origins with the 1527 foundation of
Santa Ana de Coro by
Juan de Ampíes, the province's first governor. Coro was the province's capital until 1546, followed by
El Tocuyo (1546-1577). The capital was moved to
Caracas in 1577[1] by
Juan de Pimentel. At one time
Calabozo (founded 1724) was its capital.
Early on, the province was defined in relation to the Venezuelan coastline (with
Margarita Province to the north covering the
Isla Margarita region).
New Andalusia Province (created 1537) soon provided an eastern boundary, excepting a brief period (1633-1654) when the short-lived New Catalonia Province existed between the Venezuela and New Andalusia Provinces.
Guayana Province (created 1585) formed a southern boundary. Matters in the west were more complex and fluid, but the
Maracaibo Province (from 1676) formed clearly the largest part until the
Barinas Province was split from it in 1786.
For most of its existence the province was subject to the legal and administrative supervision of the
Royal Audiencia of Santo Domingo (except for two short periods from 1717 to 1723 and 1739 to 1742). Administrative supervision was transferred to the
Viceroyalty of New Granada when this was created in 1717, and in 1777 to the new
Captaincy General of Venezuela. Legal supervision by Santo Domingo ended in 1786 when the
Royal Audience of Caracas became functional within the new Captaincy General.
With the independence of Venezuela in 1830, the province was one of 11, becoming one of 13 by 1840. In 1848
Aragua Province and
Guárico Province were split from Caracas. Following the
Federal War, the
States of Venezuela were created in 1864, and the province ceased to exist.