Santa Fe de Antioquia

Santa Fe de Antioquia is a municipality in the Antioquia Department, Colombia. The city is located approximately 50 miles north of Medellin, the department capital. It has a population of approximately 23,000 inhabitants.

History

Founded in 1541 by Jorge Robledo as "Villa de Santafé" on the western bank of the Cauca River, in 1545 it received the coat of arms and the title of "City of Antioquia" from King Philip II of Spain. It was elevated to the status of parish in 1547 by the bishop of Popayán. It changed its name in 1584 when it became the capital of Antioquia. It was a mining town from its beginnings and the gold mining operation has been the base of its economy.

Its cathedral was constructed in 1799 and elevated to Diocese of Antioquia in 1804 by Pope Pius VII. In 1813 Antioquia was declared a sovereign and independent state with Santa Fe as its capital, a status it maintained until 1826, when Medellín was chosen as the new departmental seat. Due to the state of conservation of its colonial architecture, it was declared a national monument in 1960.

Geography

The municipal area is 493km², with a mountainous territory within the Central Cordillera of the Andes and watered by the rivers Cauca and Tonusco.

Economy

The economy of Santa Fe de Antioquia is based on agriculture: the main products are coffee, maize and beans.

Tourism

Tourism has been, and continues to be one of the more important economic enterprises for the municipality. The opening of the Tunnel of the West (which reduces to the time and the distance between the locality and Medellín) in 2006 has allowed hundreds of tourists to arrive each weekend, stimulating the vocation of the vicinity as a summer vacation site.

ites of Interest

All of the town is a historical site; the architecture that has survived through the years gives Santa Fe de Antioquia the aspect of a city "suspended" in the colonial era, which is the reason the city was declared National monument.

*Bridge of the West (National Monument)
*Metropolitan Cathedral
*Archiepiscopal Palace
*Plaza Mayor Juan de Corral
*Museum of Religious Art
*The House of the Two Palms
*La Playita (Famous Ranch To The South of the Plaza)

External links

* [http://www.santafedeantioquia.gov.co City of Santa Fe de Antioquia official government website]
* [http://www.pbase.com/juangiraldo/santafe&page=all Gallería de Imágenes]