Editing Ambato, Ecuador (section)

==History==
The city of Ambato was founded in its present location on December 6, 1698, as the Seat of Ambato, on the request of Ambateños to the [[Royal Audience of Quito]]. Prior to its founding, on June 20, the former Ambato settlement was [[1698 Ambato earthquake|destroyed by an earthquake]] and landslide which killed thousands. The settlement was relocated to higher ground at its present location.<ref name="Vasconez22">{{cite journal |last1=Vasconez |first1=Francisco J. |last2=Vásconez |first2=Roberto |last3=Mothes |first3=Patricia Ann |title=Flujos de lodo del volcán Carihuairazo provocados por el terremoto de Ambato, Ecuador, en 1698 y su reconstrucción numérica con perspectivas a futuro |journal=Revista Geofísica |date=2022 |volume=69 |issue=1 |pages=11–29 |doi=10.35424/rgf.v0i69.823 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |url= |doi-access=free }}</ref> For the next century, Ambato grew slowly into an important mountain center. The city was to play a pivotal role in the [[Ecuadorian War of Independence]]. On October 9, 1820, the citizens of [[Guayaquil]], along with help from a number of Venezuelans and Colombians, declared independence from the Spanish monarchy. The group raised an army (known as the Junta de Guayaquil), and began to move against Spanish forces in Quito. On their way to Quito, Ambato was one of the first cities to be liberated. The city formally declared its separation from Spain on November 12, 1820.<ref>Cevallos Garcia, Gabriel, ''Historia del Ecuador'' Cuenca, Ecuador: Editorial "Don Bosco" 1967, p241-2.</ref>

After liberating Ambato, the Junta de Guayaquil then turned their attention to [[Quito]]. Under the command of Colonel Luis Urdaneta, the army had liberated most of the central highland region, but Quito and the northern highland region were still under the authority of the Royal Audience. Field-Marshal [[Melchior Aymerich]], acting President and commander of the Royalist army took swift action and ordered forces to march on the Urdaneta's army stationed in Ambato. Urdaneta's army met the Royalists, led by Colonel Francisco Gonzaelz at the [[First Battle of Huachi]] just outside Ambato on November 22, 1820, and were soundly defeated. Urdeneta retreated and Gonzalez entered Ambato.<ref>Cevallos Garcia, Gabriel, ''Historia del Ecuador'' Cuenca, Ecuador: Editorial "Don Bosco" 1967, p245.</ref>

A year later, the reformed patriots, under [[Antonio José de Sucre]], left their position in [[Babahoyo]] to retake the highlands.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}} In September 1821, the forces left the city, marching to reconquer [[Guaranda]]. On September 12, 1821, Sucre met the same fate as Urdeneta in the [[Second Battle of Huachi]]. Aymerich's forces defeated Sucre in the same plains that now form the neighborhood of Huachi, just southeast of downtown Ambato. Sucre returned to [[Guayaquil]] once more.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

In 1822, the tide began to turn for Ambato and the rest of the towns in the central mountains. After two attempts to take the highlands, Sucre and the revolutionaries had built a network of spies and a dedicated spirit of liberation. They had also had some luck; in 1821, the Spanish monarch, [[Ferdinand VII of Spain|Fernando VII]] had sent his own commander, General Mourgeon to lead the royalist defense in [[Quito]]. Mourgeon arrived in November only to fall terminally ill in the spring of 1822. At the same time, Sucre was marching his army south to [[Macará]] to meet up with Peruvian forces sent by [[José de San Martín|General José de San Martín]]. From [[Loja, Ecuador|Loja]] they moved north retaking [[Riobamba]] in April. Ambato was retaken soon after and the royalists were soon defeated at the [[Battle of Pichincha]].<ref>Cevallos Garcia, Gabriel, ''Historia del Ecuador'' Cuenca, Ecuador: Editorial "Don Bosco" 1967, p250</ref>

During the early years of the [[Republic of Ecuador]], the city served as an important cultural and economic center. Several times, Ambato served as the setting for rewriting of constitutions and continued to produce excellent artists and thinkers like [[Juan Montalvo|Montalvo]] and [[Juan León Mera|Mera]].{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

On August 5, 1949, the city was struck by a [[1949 Ambato earthquake|devastating earthquake]]. It is estimated that more than 6,000 people died, and thousands more were left [[homeless]] and destitute by the disaster. Much of the city's colonial center was completely ruined, including the cathedral that many considered on par with [[Cuenca, Ecuador|Cuenca's]] Iglesia de El Sagrario. The city was rebuilt with significant help from international aid organizations and the Ecuadorian government. The new modernist cathedral was inaugurated on December 12, 1954.<ref>Ilustre Municipalidad de Ambato "{{cite web |url=http://www.ambato.gov.ec/catedral.html |title=Ilustre Municipalidad de Ambato |access-date=2009-04-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429025556/http://ambato.gov.ec/catedral.html |archive-date=2009-04-29}}"</ref>