Region Andean Region Settled around 1549 Founded December 27, 1644 Population 33,000 (2005) Province Lower Magdalena Province | Department Cundinamarca Established December 13, 1610 Elevation 992 m (3,255 ft) Local time Saturday 12:28 AM | |
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Weather 21°C, Wind N at 3 km/h, 89% Humidity Points of interest MUSEO DE ARTES Y TRADI, CASA DE POLICARPA SALAVARRIETA, CAMINO REAL‑ HONDA | ||
Guaduas ([ˈɡaðwas]) is a town in Colombia, in the Lower Magdalena Province department of Cundinamarca, about 117 km from Bogotá. It is an agricultural and tourist center of some importance with a population of about 33,000. Its name refers to a type of bamboo cane. It is one of the cities on the Bogotá-Medellín highway. Its main plaza is featured on the Colombian ten-thousand pesos bill, and is one of the seats of the Roman Catholic Diocese of La Dorada–Guaduas
Contents
- Map of Guaduas Cundinamarca Colombia
- History
- The 7 Wonders of Guaduas
- Born in Guaduas
- Development Organizations
- References
Map of Guaduas, Cundinamarca, Colombia
History
The early inhabitants of the "Valley of the Guaduas" were the indigenous Panche people. It was an important stop on the road from Santa Fe (now Bogotá) to Honda, located in a small, fertile valley. The town proper was founded on April 20, 1572 by Andrés Díaz Venero de Leiva. It was abandoned after its foundation until December 13, 1610, when Fray Tomas de Morales founded the Franciscan monastery of La Soledad on the same location. It was recognized officially as a villa on December 27, 1644 and formally re-founded by Francisco Pérez de Guzmán.
In 1696, Guaduas became a parish seat, thanks to a charter from King Charles II. The convent was closed around 1805. In 1809 Fray Domingo de Petres, a Capuchin architect who also directed the construction of the Cathedral of Bogotá, began building a church in the village. The original convent building was subsequently transformed into a prison by order of the Congress of Cucuta.
Guaduas was a center of botanical experimentation, which included the introduction of níspero trees from the West Indies in the late 18th century. The crop is now widely cultivated in the region.
The provincial constitution of 1815 upgraded Guaduas to a canton, which in turn was incorporated into the province of Bogotá in 1824. The town experienced rapid growth after that. The first official school was opened in 1833, the town acquired the status of provincial capital in 1857, four years later the local hospital was founded, and in 1871 it was connected to the national telegraph network.
The 7 Wonders of Guaduas
In 2007, the school community of Guaduas picked 7 of the locality's most notable features or locations: