Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva
Coordinates: 5 ° 38 ′  N , 73 ° 32 ′  W Villa de Leyva​ Villa de Leyva on the map of Colombia
Location of the municipality of Villa de Leyva on the map of Boyacá
Basic data
Country	Colombia
Department	Boyacá
City foundation	1572
Residents	18,606  (2019)
City insignia
Detailed data
surface	128 km 2
Population density	145 inhabitants / km 2
height	2149  m
Time zone	UTC -5
City Presidency	Víctor Hugo Forero Sánchez (2016-2019)
Website	www.villadeleyva-boyaca.gov.co/index.shtml
Central square with church in Villa de Leyva
View of Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva is a municipality ( municipio ) in the department of Boyacá in Colombia .

The origin of Villa de Leyvas goes back to the first time of the Spanish conquest. It was named a national monument at an early stage and thus spared modern buildings such as office and residential high-rises. That is why today Villa de Leyva gives an impression of the architecture and ambience of the colonial era. The only one-story houses with their tiled roofs, the church with its massive and low towers and the centuries-old cobblestones of the huge plaza were therefore always the backdrop for historical films. Werner Herzog shot parts of the film Cobra Verde with Klaus Kinski here in 1987 .

During colonial times, it was mainly used as a resort for the Spanish viceroys and colonial rulers. Even today, it is a popular travel destination both among locals and foreign tourists.

geography

Villa de Leyva is located in the province of Ricaurte in the Departamento de Boyacá 37 km from Tunja at an altitude of 2149 m in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes . The municipality is bordered to the north by Arcabuco and Gachantivá , to the south Sáchica , on the east by Chíquiza and on the west by Santa Sofía and Sutamarchán .

population

The municipality of Villa de Leyva has 18,606 inhabitants, of which 11,319 live in the urban part (cabecera municipal) of the municipality (as of 2019).

history

Villa de Leyva was founded on June 12, 1572 by Hernán Suárez de Villalobos on behalf of Andrés Díaz Venero de Leyva , the first president of the Real Audiencia of Santa Fé de Bogotá , after whom the place was named. The first congress of the United Provinces of New Granada after the Declaration of Independence, at which Camilo Torres Tenorio was elected first President, took place in Villa de Leyva in 1812. In 1954, Villa de Leyva was declared a national monument under the government of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla .

economy

The main source of income for Villa de Leyva is tourism . In addition, agriculture and cattle production are important industries. There are olives , wheat , potatoes , corn and vegetables grown. There is also mining .

Museums

Some of the houses are set up as museums, such as the house where Antonio Nariño lived, who translated the Declaration des Droits de l'Homme et du Citoyen into Spanish and the house where the Assembly of the United Provinces of New Granada took place . The birth house of the hero of the independence struggle Antonio Ricaurte is also worth a visit. The Carmelite Monastery has one of the best museums of religious folk art in Colombia. As the area around Villa de Leyva is rich in fossils , a museum has been set up for it. Many residents also live from the sale of ammonites and other fossils.

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  Village square and church

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  Streets with colonial charm

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  Typical balconies

Web links

Commons : Villa de Leyva  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Alcaldia de Villa de Leyva. Alcaldía de Villa de Leyva - Boyacá, accessed on June 5, 2019 (Spanish, website of the municipality of Villa de Leyva). 

Individual evidence

1. ^ Información del municipio. Alcaldía de Villa de Leyva - Boyacá, accessed June 5, 2019 (Spanish, information on the geography of the municipality). 
2. ↑ ESTIMACIONES DE POBLACIÓN 1985 - 2005 Y PROYECCIONES DE POBLACIÓN 2005 - 2020 TOTAL DEPARTAMENTAL POR ÁREA. (Excel; 1.72 MB) DANE, May 11, 2011, accessed on June 4, 2019 (Spanish, extrapolation of the population of Colombia). 
3. ↑ Pasado, presente y futuro. Alcaldía de Villa de Leyva - Boyacá, accessed June 5, 2019 (Spanish, information on the history of the municipality). 
4. ↑ Economía. Alcaldía de Villa de Leyva - Boyacá, accessed June 5, 2019 (Spanish, information on the municipality's economy).