Leon Viejo
León Viejo is a ruined city in Nicaragua and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000 .
The ruined city of León Viejo gives an authentic impression of an early Spanish colonial settlement in Central America . Old León (Nicaragua) was founded in 1524 by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and has been a bishopric since 1531. The bishop Fray Antonio de Valdivieso , who distinguished himself through his humanitarian commitment, was murdered in 1551 at the behest of the governor Pedro Arias Dávila . The crime made the people believe that the city would one day atone for its sins. These fears came true 60 years later. An earthquake and the volcanic eruption of Momotombo in 1609 reduced the city to rubble. The catastrophe turned out to be an archaeological godsend, because the structural structure of the city was preserved in this way. In 1968 the excavations began. It turned out that the settlement was based on a checkerboard pattern. So far the foundation walls of the cathedral and the governor's palace as well as a monastery have been exposed. The ruins of old León (Nicaragua) are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
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Coordinates: 12 ° 24 ′ 2 " N , 86 ° 37 ′ 2" W.
