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Coordinates: 5°38′N 73°32′W / 5.633°N 73.533°W / 5.633; -73.533
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| image_skyline = {{Photomontage
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage
| photo1a = VillaDeLeyva-bynight.jpg
| photo1a = Villa de Leyva Boyaca 22.JPG
| photo2a = Villa de Leyva 0000 05.jpg
| photo2b = Villa de Leyva 0000 03.jpg
| spacing = 1
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| imagesize = 250px
| imagesize = 250px
| image_caption =
| image_caption =Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario
| image_flag = Flag of Villa de Leyva.svg
| image_flag = Flag of Villa de Leyva.svg
| image_seal = Escudo de Villa de Leyva.svg
| image_seal = Escudo de Villa de Leyva.svg
| nickname = Villa de Nuestra Señora <br />de Santa Maria de Leyva
| nickname = Villa de Nuestra Señora <br />de Santa María de Leyva
| motto =
| motto =
| image_map = Colombia - Boyaca - Villa de Leyva.svg
| image_map = Colombia - Boyaca - Villa de Leyva.svg
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'''Villa de Leyva''', also called '''Villa de Leiva''', is a touristic colonial town and municipality, in the [[Ricaurte Province]], part of the [[Boyacá Department]] of [[Colombia]]. The town is located {{convert|37|km|mi}} west of the departmental capital [[Tunja]]. It is about three and a half hours by car or bus from [[Bogotá]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Bogot%C3%A1/Villa-de-Leyva|title=Bogotá to Villa de Leyva|website=Rome2rio|language=en|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref>
'''Villa de Leyva''', also called '''Villa de Leiva''', is a touristic colonial town and municipality, in the [[Ricaurte Province]], part of the [[Boyacá Department]] of [[Colombia]]. The town is a [[Pueblo Patrimonio (Colombia)|Colombian National Heritage Town]] and is on the tentative list for [[UNESCO World Heritage Sites]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=South of Ricaurte Province|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5771/|access-date=2022-01-11|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en}}</ref> Villa de Leyva is located {{convert|37|km|mi}} west of the departmental capital [[Tunja]]. It is about three hours by car or bus from [[Bogotá]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Bogot%C3%A1/Villa-de-Leyva|title=Bogotá to Villa de Leyva|website=Rome2rio|language=en|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref>


Located away from major trade routes in a high altitude valley of semi-desert terrain, and with no mineral deposits nearby to exploit, the town has undergone little development in the last 400 years. As a consequence, it is one of the few towns in Colombia to have preserved much of its original [[Spanish Colonial architecture|colonial style and architecture]]: the streets and large central plaza are still paved with cobblestones, and many buildings date from the sixteenth century. This has resulted in Villa de Leyva becoming one of Colombia's principal tourist attractions, and it was declared a National Monument on December 17, 1954 to preserve its architecture.<ref name="Graceful Window">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/travel/25explorer.html?pagewanted=all|title=Villa de Leyva, a Graceful Window on Colonial Colombia|author=David Carr|date=October 22, 2009|publisher=NY Times|access-date=June 18, 2014}}</ref> The town and the surrounding countryside, which contains several sites of interest, are popular weekend destinations for citizens of Bogota, and attract an increasing number of foreign tourists.
Located away from major trade routes in a high altitude valley of semi-desert terrain, and with no mineral deposits nearby to exploit, the town has undergone little development in the last 400 years. As a consequence, it is one of the few towns in Colombia to have preserved completely its original [[Spanish Colonial architecture|colonial style and architecture]]: the streets and large central plaza are still paved with cobblestones, and many buildings date from the sixteenth century. This has resulted in Villa de Leyva becoming one of Colombia's principal tourist attractions, and it was declared a National Monument on December 17, 1954 to preserve its architecture.<ref name="Graceful Window">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/travel/25explorer.html?pagewanted=all|title=Villa de Leyva, a Graceful Window on Colonial Colombia|author=David Carr|date=October 22, 2009|publisher=NY Times|access-date=June 18, 2014}}</ref> The town and the surrounding countryside, which contains several sites of interest, are popular weekend destinations for citizens of Bogotá, and attract an increasing number of foreign tourists.


As a result of its cool temperatures, dry climate, and rich soil, Villa de Leyva has established itself as a [[wine region]], with the emergence of a number of [[Winery|wineries]] around the town in recent years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.winemag.com/2019/02/07/four-wine-trails-through-new-world-regions/|title=Four Wine Trails through New World Regions|date=2019-02-07|website=Wine Enthusiast|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref>
As a result of its cool temperatures, dry climate, and rich soil, Villa de Leyva has established itself as a [[wine region]], with the emergence of a number of [[Winery|wineries]] around the town in recent years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.winemag.com/2019/02/07/four-wine-trails-through-new-world-regions/|title=Four Wine Trails through New World Regions|date=2019-02-07|website=Wine Enthusiast|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-29}}</ref>
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The town's most famous son is [[Antonio Ricaurte]] (1797–1814), a captain in [[Simon Bolivar]]'s army fighting for independence, and who died in a famous act of self-sacrifice at [[San Mateo, Aragua|San Mateo]] in what is now Venezuela. The house in which he was born, on the Plazuela de San Agustín, was acquired by Colombia's Air Force in 1977 and turned into a military museum.
The town's most famous son is [[Antonio Ricaurte]] (1797–1814), a captain in [[Simon Bolivar]]'s army fighting for independence, and who died in a famous act of self-sacrifice at [[San Mateo, Aragua|San Mateo]] in what is now Venezuela. The house in which he was born, on the Plazuela de San Agustín, was acquired by Colombia's Air Force in 1977 and turned into a military museum.


Villa de Leyva has also been home to two other well-known figures in Colombian history. [[Antonio Nariño]], best known for translating ''[[The Rights of Man]]'' into Spanish and a leading advocate for Colombian independence, lived the last few years of his life and died in Villa de Leyva. Luis Alberto Acuña (1904 – 1993), one of the most important Colombian artists of the 20th century, also spent his final years in the town. The houses of both men are now museums containing their personal properties, and in the case of Acuña, a selection of his works, including two murals on the walls of the internal patio.
Villa de Leyva has also been home to two other well-known figures in Colombian history. [[Antonio Nariño]], best known for translating ''[[The Rights of Man]]'' into Spanish and a leading advocate for Colombian independence, lived the last few years of his life and died in Villa de Leyva. Luis Alberto Acuña (1904 – 1993), one of the most important Colombian artists of the 20th century, also spent his final years in the town. The houses of both men are now museums containing their personal properties, and in the case of Acuña, a selection of his works, including two murals on the walls of the internal patio.


The House of the First Congress, where the First Congress of the United Provinces of Nueva Granada met on October 4, 1812, is located on the north corner of the main plaza. It is currently the site of the municipal council.
The House of the First Congress, where the First Congress of the United Provinces of Nueva Granada met on October 4, 1812, is located on the north corner of the main plaza. It is currently the site of the municipal council.
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To the north-east of Villa de Leyva, the land rises to cloud-forest and includes the national park of [[Lake Iguaque|Iguaque]], and a group of seven [[waterfall]]s collectively named [[La Periquera]], {{convert|15|km|mi}} from the town centre.
To the north-east of Villa de Leyva, the land rises to cloud-forest and includes the national park of [[Lake Iguaque|Iguaque]], and a group of seven [[waterfall]]s collectively named [[La Periquera]], {{convert|15|km|mi}} from the town centre.


Villa de Leyva was named a ''[[Pueblo Patrimonio (Colombia)|Pueblo Patrimonio]]'' (heritage town) of Colombia in 2010. It was among 11 municipalities nationwide that were selected to be part of the ''Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio'' original cohort.<ref>{{Cite web|date=Dec 2020|title=GUÍA: Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio de Colombia|url=https://fontur.com.co/sites/default/files/2020-12/GUIA_PUEBLOS_PATRIMONIO.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=29 Mar 2021|website=Fondo Nacional de Turismo de la República de Colombia - FONTUR}}</ref>
Villa de Leyva was named a ''[[Pueblo Patrimonio (Colombia)|Pueblo Patrimonio]]'' (heritage town) of Colombia in 2010. It was among 11 municipalities nationwide that were selected to be part of the ''Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio'' original cohort.<ref>{{Cite web|date=Dec 2020|title=GUÍA: Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio de Colombia|url=https://fontur.com.co/sites/default/files/2020-12/GUIA_PUEBLOS_PATRIMONIO.pdf|access-date=29 Mar 2021|website=Fondo Nacional de Turismo de la República de Colombia - FONTUR}}</ref>


== Paleontology ==
== Paleontology ==
Near Villa de Leyva are several other sites of interest. The valley in which the town is located is rich in fossils from the [[Paja Formation]] ([[Cretaceous]] era), the most famous being a near-complete ''[[Kronosaurus|Kronosaurus boyacensis]]'' discovered in 1977 about {{convert|3|mi|km}} west of Villa de Leyva. Known simply as ''El Fósil'', the fossil was left ''in situ'' where it was discovered and a museum was built around it: another smaller ''Kronosaurus'' fossil was discovered nearby and brought to the museum to be displayed alongside the larger specimen.<ref name="Graceful Window" /> In the same formation the fossil [[ichthyosaur]]s ''[[Platypterygius|Platypterygius sachicarum]]'' and ''[[Muiscasaurus|Muiscasaurus catheti]]'' and the [[brachiosaur]] ''[[Padillasaurus|Padillasaurus leivaensis]]'' and [[pliosaur]] ''[[Brachauchenius]]'', later reclassified as ''[[Stenorhynchosaurus]]'', have been discovered.<ref name=PaleoDBPlaty>[http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=142346 ''Platypterygius sachicarum''] in the [[Paleobiology Database]]</ref><ref name=PaleoDBMuisca>[http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=175725 ''Muiscasaurus catheti''] in the [[Paleobiology Database]]</ref><ref name=PaleoDBPadilla>[http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=172898 ''Padillasaurus leivaensis''] in the [[Paleobiology Database]]</ref><ref name=PaleoDBBrachau>[http://fossilworks.org/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=55502 ''Brachauchenius''] in the [[Paleobiology Database]]</ref>
Near Villa de Leyva are several other sites of interest. The valley in which the town is located is rich in fossils from the [[Paja Formation]] ([[Cretaceous]] period), the most famous being a near-complete ''[[Monquirasaurus]]'' discovered in 1977 about {{convert|3|mi|km}} west of Villa de Leyva. Known simply as ''El Fósil'', the fossil was left ''in situ'' where it was discovered and a museum was built around it: another smaller ''Monquirasaurus'' fossil was discovered nearby and brought to the museum to be displayed alongside the larger specimen.<ref name="Graceful Window" /> In the same formation the fossil [[ichthyosaur]]s ''[[Platypterygius|Platypterygius sachicarum]]'' and ''[[Muiscasaurus|Muiscasaurus catheti]]'' and the [[brachiosaur]] ''[[Padillasaurus|Padillasaurus leivaensis]]'' and [[pliosaur]] ''[[Brachauchenius]]'', later reclassified as ''[[Stenorhynchosaurus]]'', have been discovered.<ref name=PaleoDBPlaty>[http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=142346 ''Platypterygius sachicarum''] in the [[Paleobiology Database]]</ref><ref name=PaleoDBMuisca>[http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=175725 ''Muiscasaurus catheti''] in the [[Paleobiology Database]]</ref><ref name=PaleoDBPadilla>[http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=172898 ''Padillasaurus leivaensis''] in the [[Paleobiology Database]]</ref><ref name=PaleoDBBrachau>[http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=55502 ''Brachauchenius''] in the [[Paleobiology Database]]</ref>


[[File:La Mesopotamia.jpg|thumb|Oldest Building in Town, 1568]]
[[File:La Mesopotamia.jpg|thumb|Oldest Building in Town, 1568]]

==Climate==

{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y
|collapsed = Y
|location = Villa de Leyva, elevation {{convert|2215|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1981–2010)
|Jan high C = 23.4
|Feb high C = 23.7
|Mar high C = 23.6
|Apr high C = 23.2
|May high C = 23.0
|Jun high C = 22.5
|Jul high C = 22.3
|Aug high C = 22.6
|Sep high C = 23.0
|Oct high C = 22.9
|Nov high C = 22.4
|Dec high C = 22.9
| year high C = 23.0
|Jan mean C = 16.7
|Feb mean C = 17.1
|Mar mean C = 17.2
|Apr mean C = 17.3
|May mean C = 17.2
|Jun mean C = 17.1
|Jul mean C = 16.8
|Aug mean C = 16.9
|Sep mean C = 17.0
|Oct mean C = 16.7
|Nov mean C = 16.7
|Dec mean C = 16.6
| year mean C = 16.9
|Jan low C = 10.0
|Feb low C = 10.7
|Mar low C = 11.3
|Apr low C = 11.8
|May low C = 11.8
|Jun low C = 11.3
|Jul low C = 10.8
|Aug low C = 10.9
|Sep low C = 10.8
|Oct low C = 11.0
|Nov low C = 11.3
|Dec low C = 10.7
| year low C = 11.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 50.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 71.1
|Mar precipitation mm = 115.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 123.0
|May precipitation mm = 106.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 41.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 39.7
|Aug precipitation mm = 40.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 67.4
|Oct precipitation mm = 148.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 119.2
|Dec precipitation mm = 83.0
|year precipitation mm = 997.2
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 9
| Feb precipitation days = 11
| Mar precipitation days = 14
| Apr precipitation days = 16
| May precipitation days = 15
| Jun precipitation days = 10
| Jul precipitation days = 10
| Aug precipitation days = 9
| Sep precipitation days = 11
| Oct precipitation days = 17
| Nov precipitation days = 17
| Dec precipitation days = 12
| year precipitation days = 149
| Jan humidity = 75
| Feb humidity = 74
| Mar humidity = 76
| Apr humidity = 77
| May humidity = 77
| Jun humidity = 75
| Jul humidity = 73
| Aug humidity = 71
| Sep humidity = 72
| Oct humidity = 77
| Nov humidity = 79
| Dec humidity = 77
| year humidity = 75
|Jan sun = 195.3
|Feb sun = 163.7
|Mar sun = 151.9
|Apr sun = 120.0
|May sun = 133.3
|Jun sun = 141.0
|Jul sun = 158.1
|Aug sun = 158.1
|Sep sun = 141.0
|Oct sun = 133.3
|Nov sun = 135.0
|Dec sun = 167.4
|year sun =
|Jand sun = 6.3
|Febd sun = 5.8
|Mard sun = 4.9
|Aprd sun = 4.0
|Mayd sun = 4.3
|Jund sun = 4.7
|Juld sun = 5.1
|Augd sun = 5.1
|Sepd sun = 4.7
|Octd sun = 4.3
|Novd sun = 4.5
|Decd sun = 5.4
|yeard sun =
|source 1 = [[Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Colombia)|Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales]]<ref name=IDEAM1>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ideam.gov.co/documents/21021/553571/Promedios+Climatol%C3%B3gicos++1981+-+2010.xlsx/f28d0b07-1208-4a46-8ccf-bddd70fb4128
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815025712/http://www.ideam.gov.co/documents/21021/553571/Promedios%2BClimatol%C3%B3gicos%2B%2B1981%2B-%2B2010.xlsx/f28d0b07-1208-4a46-8ccf-bddd70fb4128
|archive-date=15 August 2016
|title=Promedios Climatológicos 1981–2010
|publisher=Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales
|language=es
|access-date= 17 June 2024
|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
{{wide image|Villa-de-Leyva-Panoramic.JPG|1200px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of Villa de Leyva's main square}}
{{wide image|Panoramica desierto Villa de Leyva.JPG|1200px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of Villa de Leyva's semi-desert}}
<gallery class="center">
<gallery class="center">
File:Villa de Leyva el infiernito.jpg|[[El Infiernito]], pre-Columbian archaeoastronomical site
File:Andrés Diaz Venero de Leyva.jpeg|Statue of Andrés Diaz Venero de Leyva
File:Antonio Nariño busto Villa de Leyva.JPG|Statue of Antonio Nariño
File:Sculpture of Madonna and Child, Villa de Leyva 02.jpg|Sculpture of Madonna and Child
File:Cristo con brazos extendidos.JPG|Christ with outstretched arms
File:Parroquia villa de leyva.jpg|Church interior
File:Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Rosario (44417475010).jpg|Altarpiece of Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario
File:Cristo en lo alto.JPG|Statue of Jesus Christ in Villa de Leyva
File:Iglesia del Carmen, Villa de Leyva 01.jpg|Church del Carmen
File:Imagen 018.jpg|Church of the colonial Hospital of Villa de Leyva
File:Alcaldia de Villa de Leyva.jpg|Colonial City Hall
File:Rue Dans L Après Midi (141008669).jpeg
File:VillaLeyva1.jpg
File:Antigua hacienda y molino en Villa de Leyva.jpg|Ancient hacienda and mill
File:CO Villa de Leyva 0602 054 (17247197692).jpg
File:Leyva 2 019.jpg|colonial church
File:Villa4.jpg|colonial courtyard of a mansion
File:Museo Paleontológico de Villa de LeYva.JPG|Paleontology museum of Villa de Leyva
File:Monumento Ammonite Villa de Leyva.JPG|Ammonite monument in Villa de Leyva
File:Monumento Ammonite Villa de Leyva.JPG|Ammonite monument in Villa de Leyva
</gallery>
<gallery class="center">
File:Centro de Investigaciones Paleontolocicas.JPG|Paleontological museum with ''El Fósil''
File:Centro de Investigaciones Paleontolocicas.JPG|Paleontological museum with ''El Fósil''
File:La casa de barro.jpg|Clay house
File:La casa de barro.jpg|Clay house
File:Villa de Leyva alrededores.JPG|Rural area
File:Villa de Leyva alrededores.JPG|Rural area
File:Pozos Azules en Villa de Leyva.jpg|''Pozos Azules''
File:Pozos Azules en Villa de Leyva.jpg|''Pozos Azules''
File:Museo interior.jpg|Interior museum
File:Casa Antonio Nariño.JPG|House where [[Antonio Nariño]] died
File:Cascada la periquera.jpg|La Periquera waterfall
File:Cascada la periquera.jpg|La Periquera waterfall
File:CO Villa de Leyva 0602 116 (17041512267).jpg|Local ice cream store
File:Cristo en lo alto.JPG|Christ with outstretched arms on the top of the town
File:Villa23.jpg|Statue of [[Antonio Ricaurte]]
</gallery>
</gallery>
{{wide image|Villa-de-Leyva-Panoramic.JPG|1200px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of Villa de Leyva's main square}}
{{wide image|Panoramica desierto Villa de Leyva.JPG|1200px|align-cap=center|Panoramic view of Villa de Leyva's semi-desert}}


== In popular culture ==
== In popular culture ==
* Florentino Ariza, the main character of [[Gabriel Garcia Marquez]]'s novel ''[[Love in the Time of Cholera]]'' (1985), is sent to Villa de Leyva, but never arrives there.
* Florentino Ariza, the main character of [[Gabriel García Márquez]]'s novel ''[[Love in the Time of Cholera]]'' (1985), is sent to Villa de Leyva, but never arrives there.
* Part of the film ''[[Cobra Verde]]'' (1987) by [[Werner Herzog]] was filmed here
* Part of the film ''[[Cobra Verde]]'' (1987) by [[Werner Herzog]] was filmed here
* The Spanish-language [[soap opera]] ''[[El Zorro, la espada y la rosa]]'' (2007) has been filmed here
* The Spanish-language [[soap opera]] ''[[El Zorro, la espada y la rosa]]'' (2007) has been filmed here
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[[Category:1572 establishments in the Spanish Empire]]
[[Category:1572 establishments in the Spanish Empire]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Boyacá Department]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Boyacá Department]]
[[Category:Muisca Confederation]]

Latest revision as of 11:33, 17 June 2024

Villa de Leyva
Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario
Flag of Villa de Leyva
Flag
Official seal of Villa de Leyva
Seal
Nickname(s): 
Villa de Nuestra Señora
de Santa María de Leyva
Location of the town of Villa de Leyva and the Leyva municipality in Boyacá Department
Location of the town of Villa de Leyva and the Leyva municipality in Boyacá Department
Coordinates: 5°38′N 73°32′W / 5.633°N 73.533°W / 5.633; -73.533
Country Colombia
DepartmentBoyacá Department
ProvinceRicaurte Province
FoundedJune 12, 1572
Founded byAndré Diaz Venero de Leyva
Government
 • MayorJosue Javier Castellanos Morales
(2020-2023)
Area
 • City128 km2 (49 sq mi)
Elevation
2,149 m (7,051 ft)
Population
 (2015)
 • City16,984
 • Density130/km2 (340/sq mi)
 • Urban
9,926
Time zoneUTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)
WebsiteOfficial website

Villa de Leyva, also called Villa de Leiva, is a touristic colonial town and municipality, in the Ricaurte Province, part of the Boyacá Department of Colombia. The town is a Colombian National Heritage Town and is on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[1] Villa de Leyva is located 37 kilometres (23 mi) west of the departmental capital Tunja. It is about three hours by car or bus from Bogotá.[2]

Located away from major trade routes in a high altitude valley of semi-desert terrain, and with no mineral deposits nearby to exploit, the town has undergone little development in the last 400 years. As a consequence, it is one of the few towns in Colombia to have preserved completely its original colonial style and architecture: the streets and large central plaza are still paved with cobblestones, and many buildings date from the sixteenth century. This has resulted in Villa de Leyva becoming one of Colombia's principal tourist attractions, and it was declared a National Monument on December 17, 1954 to preserve its architecture.[3] The town and the surrounding countryside, which contains several sites of interest, are popular weekend destinations for citizens of Bogotá, and attract an increasing number of foreign tourists.

As a result of its cool temperatures, dry climate, and rich soil, Villa de Leyva has established itself as a wine region, with the emergence of a number of wineries around the town in recent years.[4]

Geography

[edit]

The urban centre of Villa de Leyva is located in an intermontane valley on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at 2,149 metres (7,051 ft).[5]

History

[edit]

The area of Villa de Leyva was inhabited early in the inhabitation of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense. The earliest archaeological evidence has been surfaced around El Infiernito, an archeoastronomical site dating back to pre-Herrera times. The Muisca were the inhabitants of the area at the time of the Spanish conquest and the zaque of Hunza ruled over the area of Villa de Leyva.

The town was founded on June 12, 1572 by and named after the first president of the New Kingdom of Granada, Andrés Díaz Venero de Leiva.[3][5]

Arts and culture

[edit]

There are several festivals held throughout the year, including a gastronomical festival in November, the water festival, the tree festival, the Villa de Leyva Jazz Festival in July, the International Kite-flying Festival in August, the onion beauty pageant in October, and the Festival of Lights on December 7. There are also several musical, painting and theatre events which are available throughout the whole year. As a gastronomic destination, restaurants tend to have live music bands or singers. There are also enjoyable storytellers who perform weekly in the main square for the entertainment of usual pedestrians or tourists. It is also common to rent bikes for historical tours of the town and its outskirts

Tourism

[edit]

The focus of the town is the Plaza Mayor, which at 14,000 square meters is the largest square in Colombia and believed to be the largest entirely cobbled square in South America.

The town's most famous son is Antonio Ricaurte (1797–1814), a captain in Simon Bolivar's army fighting for independence, and who died in a famous act of self-sacrifice at San Mateo in what is now Venezuela. The house in which he was born, on the Plazuela de San Agustín, was acquired by Colombia's Air Force in 1977 and turned into a military museum.

Villa de Leyva has also been home to two other well-known figures in Colombian history. Antonio Nariño, best known for translating The Rights of Man into Spanish and a leading advocate for Colombian independence, lived the last few years of his life and died in Villa de Leyva. Luis Alberto Acuña (1904 – 1993), one of the most important Colombian artists of the 20th century, also spent his final years in the town. The houses of both men are now museums containing their personal properties, and in the case of Acuña, a selection of his works, including two murals on the walls of the internal patio.

The House of the First Congress, where the First Congress of the United Provinces of Nueva Granada met on October 4, 1812, is located on the north corner of the main plaza. It is currently the site of the municipal council.

A few miles further west is a Muisca astronomy observatory, made of phallic stones, colloquially named El Infiernito ("little hell" in Spanish), as the Spanish conquistadors were horrified by the stones and proclaimed that the Muisca would be banished to hell for their obscene representations.

To the north-east of Villa de Leyva, the land rises to cloud-forest and includes the national park of Iguaque, and a group of seven waterfalls collectively named La Periquera, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the town centre.

Villa de Leyva was named a Pueblo Patrimonio (heritage town) of Colombia in 2010. It was among 11 municipalities nationwide that were selected to be part of the Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio original cohort.[6]

Paleontology

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Near Villa de Leyva are several other sites of interest. The valley in which the town is located is rich in fossils from the Paja Formation (Cretaceous period), the most famous being a near-complete Monquirasaurus discovered in 1977 about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Villa de Leyva. Known simply as El Fósil, the fossil was left in situ where it was discovered and a museum was built around it: another smaller Monquirasaurus fossil was discovered nearby and brought to the museum to be displayed alongside the larger specimen.[3] In the same formation the fossil ichthyosaurs Platypterygius sachicarum and Muiscasaurus catheti and the brachiosaur Padillasaurus leivaensis and pliosaur Brachauchenius, later reclassified as Stenorhynchosaurus, have been discovered.[7][8][9][10]

Oldest Building in Town, 1568

Climate

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Climate data for Villa de Leyva, elevation 2,215 m (7,267 ft), (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 23.4
(74.1) 		23.7
(74.7) 		23.6
(74.5) 		23.2
(73.8) 		23.0
(73.4) 		22.5
(72.5) 		22.3
(72.1) 		22.6
(72.7) 		23.0
(73.4) 		22.9
(73.2) 		22.4
(72.3) 		22.9
(73.2) 		23.0
(73.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 16.7
(62.1) 		17.1
(62.8) 		17.2
(63.0) 		17.3
(63.1) 		17.2
(63.0) 		17.1
(62.8) 		16.8
(62.2) 		16.9
(62.4) 		17.0
(62.6) 		16.7
(62.1) 		16.7
(62.1) 		16.6
(61.9) 		16.9
(62.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 10.0
(50.0) 		10.7
(51.3) 		11.3
(52.3) 		11.8
(53.2) 		11.8
(53.2) 		11.3
(52.3) 		10.8
(51.4) 		10.9
(51.6) 		10.8
(51.4) 		11.0
(51.8) 		11.3
(52.3) 		10.7
(51.3) 		11.0
(51.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 50.2
(1.98) 		71.1
(2.80) 		115.3
(4.54) 		123.0
(4.84) 		106.7
(4.20) 		41.8
(1.65) 		39.7
(1.56) 		40.2
(1.58) 		67.4
(2.65) 		148.9
(5.86) 		119.2
(4.69) 		83.0
(3.27) 		997.2
(39.26)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 9 11 14 16 15 10 10 9 11 17 17 12 149
Average relative humidity (%) 75 74 76 77 77 75 73 71 72 77 79 77 75
Mean monthly sunshine hours 195.3 163.7 151.9 120.0 133.3 141.0 158.1 158.1 141.0 133.3 135.0 167.4 1,798.1
Mean daily sunshine hours 6.3 5.8 4.9 4.0 4.3 4.7 5.1 5.1 4.7 4.3 4.5 5.4 4.9
Source: Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales[11]
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  • El Infiernito, pre-Columbian archaeoastronomical site
    El Infiernito, pre-Columbian archaeoastronomical site
  • Sculpture of Madonna and Child
    Sculpture of Madonna and Child
  • Christ with outstretched arms
    Christ with outstretched arms
  • Altarpiece of Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario
    Altarpiece of Church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario
  • Church del Carmen
    Church del Carmen
  • Church of the colonial Hospital of Villa de Leyva
    Church of the colonial Hospital of Villa de Leyva
  • Colonial City Hall
    Colonial City Hall
  • Ancient hacienda and mill
    Ancient hacienda and mill
  • colonial church
    colonial church
  • colonial courtyard of a mansion
    colonial courtyard of a mansion
  • Paleontology museum of Villa de Leyva
    Paleontology museum of Villa de Leyva
  • Ammonite monument in Villa de Leyva
    Ammonite monument in Villa de Leyva
  • Paleontological museum with El Fósil
    Paleontological museum with El Fósil
  • Clay house
    Clay house
  • Rural area
    Rural area
  • Pozos Azules
    Pozos Azules
  • Interior museum
    Interior museum
  • House where Antonio Nariño died
    House where Antonio Nariño died
  • La Periquera waterfall
    La Periquera waterfall
  • Local ice cream store
    Local ice cream store
  • Christ with outstretched arms on the top of the town
    Christ with outstretched arms on the top of the town
  • Statue of Antonio Ricaurte
    Statue of Antonio Ricaurte
Panoramic view of Villa de Leyva's main square
Panoramic view of Villa de Leyva's semi-desert
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "South of Ricaurte Province". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  2. ^ "Bogotá to Villa de Leyva". Rome2rio. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  3. ^ a b c David Carr (October 22, 2009). "Villa de Leyva, a Graceful Window on Colonial Colombia". NY Times. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  4. ^ "Four Wine Trails through New World Regions". Wine Enthusiast. 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
  5. ^ a b (in Spanish) Official website Villa de Leyva
  6. ^ "GUÍA: Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio de Colombia" (PDF). Fondo Nacional de Turismo de la República de Colombia - FONTUR. Dec 2020. Retrieved 29 Mar 2021.
  7. ^ Platypterygius sachicarum in the Paleobiology Database
  8. ^ Muiscasaurus catheti in the Paleobiology Database
  9. ^ Padillasaurus leivaensis in the Paleobiology Database
  10. ^ Brachauchenius in the Paleobiology Database
  11. ^ "Promedios Climatológicos 1981–2010" (in Spanish). Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
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