Granada (Nicaragua)
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Coordinates: 11 ° 56 ′ N , 85 ° 58 ′ W Granada on the map of Nicaragua
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| Basic data | ||
| Country |
 Nicaragua
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| Department | Granada | |
| City foundation | December 8, 1524 | |
| Residents | 79,418 (2005 census) | |
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| Detailed data | ||
| surface | 531 km 2 | |
| Population density | 150 people / km 2 | |
| Waters | Lake Nicaragua | |
| Time zone | UTC −6 | |
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Granada is the third largest city of the Central American state Nicaragua , it is 47 km south of the state capital Managua on the west coast of Lake Nicaragua , it is also the seat of the department of the same name . The city, built in colonial style, is also called La gran Sultana (the big raisin, colloquially the fat raisin). The city lies at the foot of the 1344 m high volcano Mombacho.
history
The city was founded on December 8, 1524 by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Hernández de Córdoba . During the colonial period, Granada had one of the most important ports in Central America with trade connections to Cartagena , Guatemala , San Salvador , Panama and Peru . Important commodities were cocoa and tobacco . The shipping route for the increasing trade led across Lake Nicaragua and further across the Río San Juan into the Caribbean .
As a result of the growing wealth and the clashes of the Spaniards with England , Holland and France , the city was attacked at least three times by pirates . On June 29, 1665 by the pirate Jean David from Jamaica , he was able to plunder the city without any resistance. The Indian Pirate Gallardillo , in the service of England, invaded the city in 1670. Finally, succeeded William Dampier on April 8, 1685 Granada to attack for the third time and set the city on fire, although in 1675 on the Rio San Juan in El Castillo , a Fort had been built to defend against attack.
In November 1856, Charles Frederick Henningsen , a mercenary of William Walker during the Nicaraguan Civil War , had the city destroyed again.
On December 2, 1913, Pope Pius X established the diocese of Granada , the main church of which is the Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Asunción .
economy
Tourism is important because Granada itself offers plenty of sights and on the other hand, with its port, it is also the starting point for tourism across Lake Nicaragua. There are numerous line connections to different islands of the lake and to different coastal cities, e.g. T. also speedboat connections. The productive sector of industry experienced a decline and structural change in the 1980s, for example with the demise of numerous tanneries .
Attractions
- Cathedral : The cathedral, first built in 1529, is one of the most important colonial buildings in Central America. The current building dates from 1880 and was renovated for the last time in 1905. The original building was destroyed in the great fire of 1856.
- La Merced Church : Built from 1781 to 1783. The facade has a baroque architectural style, but the floor plan can be assigned to the colonial style. The name refers to Maria de la Merced, "the gracious". This church was also set on fire in 1856.
- San Francisco Convent : It was founded in 1529 by Brother Toribio Benevante Motolina, a Franciscan (OFM) . Around 1835 it was also used as a university, and between 1867 and 1868 it became a monastery. Since 1986, it has housed an exhibition of pre-Columbian statues and a museum for the architecture of Granada.
- Casa de los tres mundos : The former colonial building from the 16th century was extensively restored by the Fundacion Casa de los tres mundos between 1988 and 1995. Today it houses the city archives of Granada and the international cultural center Casa de los tres mundos .
- Las Isletas : Archipelago in front of the city made up of over 300 very small islands that were formed when the Mombacho erupted. The Isletas are a popular destination for Granadinos and tourists because of their flora, fauna and scenic beauty.
sons and daughters of the town
- José Trinidad Muñoz Fernández (1790–1855), General
- José Vicente Cuadra (1812–1894), President 1871–75
- José Antonio Lezcano y Ortega (1865–1952), Archbishop of Managua 1913–52 and President of Parliament from 1915–16
- Benjamín Lacayo Sacasa (1893–1959), President of Nicaragua from May 26 to August 15, 1947
- Lorenzo Guerrero Gutiérrez (1900–1981), President 1966–67
- Maria Romero Meneses (1902–1977), Don Bosco sister
- Ernesto Cardenal (1925–2020), politician, writer and liberation theologian
- José Dionisio Marenco Gutiérrez (* 1946) politician
- Carlos Pellas Chamorro (* 1953), entrepreneur (Grupo Pellas)
- David Salomon Jarquín (* 1986), trumpeter
Town twinning
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Frankfurt am Main in Hessen , Germany -
Gualeguaychú in the Entre Ríos Province , Argentina -
Tampa in Florida , USA -
Waukesha in Wisconsin , USA
