The ceety, cried Villa de Oropesa wis foondit on 2 August 1571 bi order o Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, Coont o Oropesa. It wis tae be an agricultural production centre tae provide fuid for the minin touns o the relatively nearby Altiplano region, particularly the ceety o Potosí which became ane o the lairgest an richest ceeties in the warld durin the 17t century - fundin the vast walth that ultimately made Spain a warld pouer at the time. Wi the siller minin industry in Potosi at its hicht, Cochabamba thrivit durin its first centuries o existence. The ceety entered a period o decline durin the 18t century as minin began tae wane.