Cartagena ( ,
also ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and one of the major
port
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
s on the northern coast of
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
in the
Caribbean Coast Region, bordering the
Caribbean sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
. Cartagena's past role as a link in the route to West Indies provides it with important historical value for world exploration and preservation of heritage from the great commercial maritime routes. As a former Spanish colony, it was a key port for the export of Bolivian silver to Spain and for the import of enslaved Africans under the
asiento
The () was a monopoly contract between the Spanish Crown and various merchants for the right to provide African slaves to colonies in the Spanish Americas. The Spanish Empire rarely engaged in the trans-Atlantic slave trade directly from Afri ...
system. It was defensible against
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
attacks in the Caribbean. The city's strategic location between the
Magdalena and
Sinú River
Sinú River (), is a river in northwestern Colombia that flows mostly through the Córdoba Department and into the Caribbean. The river is the third most important river after the Magdalena River and the Cauca River in the Caribbean Region. It i ...
s also gave it easy access to the interior of
New Granada and made it a main port for trade between Spain and its overseas empire, establishing its importance by the early 1540s.
Modern Cartagena is the capital of the
Bolívar Department, and had a population of 1,028,736, according to the 2018 census,
making it the second-largest city in the
Caribbean region
The Caribbean region of Colombia or Caribbean coast region is in the north of Colombia and is mainly composed of 8 departments located contiguous to the Caribbean.[Barranquilla
Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Col ...]
, and the
fifth-largest city in Colombia. The
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
of Cartagena is the sixth-largest urban area in the country, after
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...
of
Bucaramanga
Bucaramanga () is the capital and largest city of the department of Santander, Colombia. Bucaramanga has the fifth-largest economy by GDP in Colombia, has the lowest unemployment rate and has the ninth-largest population in the country, with 68 ...
. Economic activities include the
maritime
Maritime may refer to:
Geography
* Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps
* Maritime Region, a region in Togo
* Maritime Southeast Asia
* The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...
and
petrochemical
Petrochemicals (sometimes abbreviated as petchems) are the chemical products obtained from petroleum by refining. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sou ...
industries, as well as tourism.
The present city—named after
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena () is a Spanish city and a major naval station on the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Iberia. As of January 2018, it has a population of 218,943 inhabitants, being the region's second-largest municipality and the country's sixth-lar ...
—was founded on 1 June 1533; but settlement by various indigenous people in the region around Cartagena Bay dates from 4000 BC. During the Spanish colonial period Cartagena had a key role in administration and expansion of the
Spanish empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
. It was a center of political, ecclesiastical, and economic activity. In 1984, Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
.
It was also the site of the
Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias ( es, Sitio de Cartagena de Indias, lit=Siege of Cartagena de Indias) took place during the 1739 to 1748 War of Jenkins' Ear between Spain and Britain. The result of long-standing commercial tensions, the war w ...
in 1741 during the
War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear, or , was a conflict lasting from 1739 to 1748 between Britain and the Spanish Empire. The majority of the fighting took place in New Granada and the Caribbean Sea, with major operations largely ended by 1742. It is con ...
between
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
and
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
.
History
Pre-Columbian era: 4000 BC – AD 1500
The
Puerto Hormiga Culture The Puerto Hormiga archaeological site is in the Bolivar department, Colombia, in the lower Magdalena basin near the Caribbean coast. It dates to 4000 - 3100 BC.
Its traces provide evidence of a semi-sedentary agricultural society in the making, ...
, found in the Caribbean coast region, particularly in the area from the
Sinú River
Sinú River (), is a river in northwestern Colombia that flows mostly through the Córdoba Department and into the Caribbean. The river is the third most important river after the Magdalena River and the Cauca River in the Caribbean Region. It i ...
Delta to the Cartagena Bay, appears to be the first documented human community in what is now Colombia.
Archeologists
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscape ...
estimate that around 4000 BC, the formative culture was located near the boundary between the current departments of
Bolívar and
Sucre
Sucre () is the Capital city, capital of Bolivia, the capital of the Chuquisaca Department and the List of cities in Bolivia, 6th most populated city in Bolivia. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of . T ...
. In this area, archeologists have found the most ancient ceramic objects of the Americas, dating from around 4000 BC. The primary reason for the proliferation of primitive societies in this area is thought to have been the relative mild climate and the abundance of wildlife, which allowed the hunting inhabitants a comfortable life.
Archeological investigations date the decline of the Puerto Hormiga culture and its related settlements to be around 3000 BC. The rise of a much more developed culture, the Monsú, who lived at the end of the
Dique Canal near today's Cartagena neighborhoods Pasacaballos and Ciénaga Honda at the northernmost part of Barú Island, has been hypothesized. The Monsú culture appears to have inherited the Puerto Hormiga culture's use of the art of pottery and also to have developed a mixed economy of agriculture and basic manufacture. The Monsú people's diet was based mostly on shellfish and fresh and salt-water fish.
The development of the Sinú society in what is today the departments of Córdoba and Sucre, eclipsed these first developments around the Cartagena Bay area. Until the
Spanish colonization
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
, many cultures derived from the
Karib,
Malibu and
Arawak
The Arawak are a group of indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. Specifically, the term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to the Lokono of South America and the Taíno, who historically lived in the Greater ...
language families
A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ''ancestral language'' or ''parental language'', called the proto-language of that family. The term "family" reflects the tree model of language origination in hi ...
lived along the Colombian Caribbean coast. In the late pre-Columbian era, the
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (English: ''Snow-Covered Mountain Range of Saint Martha'') is an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia, separate from the Andes range that runs through the north of the country. Reaching an elevation of ...
was home to the
Tayrona
Tairona (or Tayrona) was a Pre-Columbian culture of Colombia, which consisted in a group of chiefdoms in the region of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in present-day Cesar, Magdalena and La Guajira Departments of Colombia, South America, which ...
people, whose language was closely related to the
Chibcha
The Muisca (also called Chibcha) are an indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia, that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. The people spoke Muysccubun, a language of the Chibchan lan ...
language family.
Around AD 1500, the area was inhabited by different tribes of the
Carib language
Carib or Kari'nja is a Cariban language spoken by the Kalina people (Caribs) of South America. It is spoken by around 7,400 mostly in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil. The language is currently classified as highly endange ...
family, more precisely the Mocanae sub-family.
Mocana villages of the
Carib people
“Carib” may refer to:
People and languages
*Kalina people, or Caribs, an indigenous people of South America
**Carib language, also known as Kalina, the language of the South American Caribs
*Kalinago people, or Island Caribs, an indigenous pe ...
around the Bay of Cartagena included:
:*on sandy island facing the ocean in what is present-day downtown: Kalamarí (Calamari)
:*on the
island of Tierrabomba: Carex
:*on
Isla Barú
The Isla Barú or Isla de Barú is a former peninsula south of Cartagena, Colombia. It was cut off from the mainland by the Canal del Dique, but is still connected by bridge. It projects out southwest from the southern end of Cartagena towards the ...
, then a peninsula: Bahaire
:*on present-day Mamonal, the eastern coast of the exterior bay: Cospique
:*in the suburban area of
Turbaco
Turbaco is a municipality in the Bolívar Department of Colombia. It is about 20 minutes from Cartagena de Indias and is one of Bolívar's most organized municipalities. Turbaco is known for its famous "Fiesta de Toros" (Bulls's feast) in De ...
: Yurbaco Tribe
Heredia found these settlements "...largely surrounded with the heads of dead men placed on stakes."
[
Some subsidiary tribes of the Kalamari lived in today's neighborhood of Pie de la Popa, and other subsidiaries from the Cospique lived in the Membrillal and Pasacaballos areas. Among these, according to the earliest documents available, the ]Kalamari
Squid is eaten in many cuisines; in English, the culinary name calamari is often used for squid dishes.''Oxford English Dictionary'', 3rd edition, 2002''s.v.''/ref> There are many ways to prepare and cook squid. Fried squid is common in the Me ...
had preeminence. These tribes, though physically and administratively separated, shared a common architecture, such as hut structures consisting of circular rooms with tall roofs, which were surrounded by defensive wooden palisades.
First sightings by Europeans: 1500–1533
Rodrigo de Bastidas
Rodrigo de Bastidas (; Triana, Seville, Andalusia, c. 1465 – Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, 28 July 1527) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who mapped the northern coast of South America, discovered Panama, and founded the city of Santa Marta.
...
traveled to the Pearl Coast and the Gulf of Uraba in 1500–01. On 14 February 1504, Ferdinand V Ferdinand V is the name of:
* Ferdinand II of Aragon, Ferdinand V of Castile, ''the Catholic'' king of Castile, Aragon and Naples
*Ferdinand I of Austria
en, Ferdinand Charles Leopold Joseph Francis Marcelin
, image = Kaiser Ferdinand I.j ...
contracted Juan de la Cosa
Juan de la Cosa (c. 1450 – 28 February 1510) was a Castilian navigator and cartographer, known for designing the earliest European world map which incorporated the territories of the Americas discovered in the 15th century.
De la Cosa was th ...
's voyage to Uraba. However, Juan de la Cosa died in 1510 along with 300 of Alonso de Ojeda's men, after an armed confrontation with indigenous people, and before Juan de la Cosa could get possession of the Gulf of Urabá
The Gulf of Urabá is a gulf on the northern coast of Colombia. It is part of the Caribbean Sea. It is a long, wide inlet located on the coast of Colombia, close to the connection of the continent to the Isthmus of Panama. The town of Turbo, Co ...
area. Similar contracts were signed in 1508 with Diego de Nicuesa for the settlement of Veragua {{unreferenced, date=January 2015
Veragua or Veraguas was the name of five Spanish colonial territorial entities in Central America, beginning in the 16th century during the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
The term was based on a Central Amer ...
and with Alonso de Ojeda for the settlement of Uraba, "where gold had already been obtained on earlier voyages," according to Floyd.
After the failed effort to find Antigua del Darién in 1506 by Alonso de Ojeda
Alonso de Ojeda (; c. 1466 – c. 1515) was a Spanish explorer, governor and conquistador. He travelled through modern-day Guyana, Venezuela, Trinidad, Tobago, Curaçao, Aruba and Colombia. He navigated with Amerigo Vespucci who is famous ...
and the subsequent unsuccessful founding of San Sebastián de Urabá
San Sebastián de Urabá was the first settlement established by Spaniards in the area of the Darién Gap in Colombia.
This fortified settlement was founded on 20 January 1510 by Alonso de Ojeda on the eastern coast of the Gulf of Urabá, in what ...
in 1517 by Diego de Nicuesa
Diego de Nicuesa (; died 1511) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer.
Background
Diego arrived Santo Domingo in April 1502, with Nicolás de Ovando y Cáceres' flotilla.
In 1506, Nicuesa was given the job of governing Costa Rica, but ran agrou ...
, the southern Caribbean coast became unattractive to colonizers. They preferred the better known Hispaniola
Hispaniola (, also ; es, La Española; Latin and french: Hispaniola; ht, Ispayola; tnq, Ayiti or Quisqueya) is an island in the Caribbean that is part of the Greater Antilles. Hispaniola is the most populous island in the West Indies, and th ...
and Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
.
Although the royal control point for trade, the Casa de Contratación
The ''Casa de Contratación'' (, House of Trade) or ''Casa de la Contratación de las Indias'' ("House of Trade of the Indies") was established by the Crown of Castile, in 1503 in the port of Seville (and transferred to Cádiz in 1717) as a cro ...
gave permission to Rodrigo de Bastidas
Rodrigo de Bastidas (; Triana, Seville, Andalusia, c. 1465 – Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, 28 July 1527) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who mapped the northern coast of South America, discovered Panama, and founded the city of Santa Marta.
...
(1460–1527) to again conduct an expedition as adelantado
''Adelantado'' (, , ; meaning "advanced") was a title held by Spanish nobles in service of their respective kings during the Middle Ages. It was later used as a military title held by some Spain, Spanish ''conquistadores'' of the 15th, 16th and 17 ...
to this area, Bastidas explored the coast and sighted the Magdalena River
The Magdalena River ( es, Río Magdalena, ; less commonly ) is the main river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of ...
Delta in his first journey from Guajira to the south in 1527, a trip that ended in the Gulf of Urabá
The Gulf of Urabá is a gulf on the northern coast of Colombia. It is part of the Caribbean Sea. It is a long, wide inlet located on the coast of Colombia, close to the connection of the continent to the Isthmus of Panama. The town of Turbo, Co ...
, the location of the failed first settlements. De Nicuesa and De Ojeda noted the existence of a big bay on the way from Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional)
, websi ...
to Urabá and the Panama isthmus
The Isthmus of Panama ( es, Istmo de Panamá), also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien (), is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country ...
, and that encouraged Bastidas to investigate.
Colonial era: 1533–1717
Under contract to Queen Joanna of Castile
Joanna (6 November 1479 – 12 April 1555), historically known as Joanna the Mad ( es, link=no, Juana la Loca), was the nominal Queen of Castile from 1504 and Queen of Aragon from 1516 to her death in 1555. She was married by arrangement to Phi ...
, Pedro de Heredia
Pedro de Heredia (c. 1505 in Madrid – January 27, 1554 in Zahara de los Atunes, Cádiz) was a Spanish conquistador, founder of the city of Cartagena de Indias and explorer of the northern coast and the interior of present-day Colombia.
Earl ...
entered the Bay of Cartagena with three ships, a lighter
A lighter is a portable device which creates a flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of items, such as cigarettes, gas lighter, fireworks, candles or campfires. It consists of a metal or plastic container filled with a flammable liquid or c ...
, 150 men, and 22 horses, on 14 January 1533. He soon found the village of Calamari abandoned. Proceeding onwards to Turbaco, where Juan de la Cosa had been mortally wounded 13 years earlier, Heredia fought an all-day battle before claiming victory. Using India Catalina as a guide, Heredia embarked on a three-month exploration expedition. He returned to Calamari in April 1533 with gold pieces, including a solid gold porcupine weighing 132 pounds. In later expeditions, Heredia raided the Sinú tombs and temples of gold. His rule as governor of Cartagena lasted 22 years, before perishing on his return to Spain in 1544.[
Cartagena was founded on 1 June 1533 by the Spanish commander, ]Pedro de Heredia
Pedro de Heredia (c. 1505 in Madrid – January 27, 1554 in Zahara de los Atunes, Cádiz) was a Spanish conquistador, founder of the city of Cartagena de Indias and explorer of the northern coast and the interior of present-day Colombia.
Earl ...
, in the former location of the indigenous Caribbean Calamarí village. The town was named after the port city of Cartagena, in Murcia
Murcia (, , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the seventh largest city in the country. It has a population of 460,349 inhabitants in 2021 (about one ...
in southeast Spain, where most of Heredia's sailors had resided. King Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
gave Cartagena the title of "city" (''ciudad'') in 1574, adding "most noble and loyal" in 1575.[
The city's increasing importance as a port for the export of Bolivian silver from ]Potosí
Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world at a nominal . For centuries, it was the location o ...
to Spain, made it an obvious target for pirates and corsairs, encouraged by France, England, and Holland. In 1544, the city was pillaged by 5 ships and 1,000 men under the command of the French pirate Jean-François Roberval
Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval also named "l'élu de Poix" or sieur de Roberval (Carcassonne, c. 1495 - Paris, 1560) son of an unknown mother and Bernard de La Rocque military and former seneschal of Carcassonne. He was a French officer, ...
, who took advantage of the city still without walls. Heredia was forced to retreat to Turbaco until a ransom was paid. A defensive tower, ''San Felipe del Boqueron'', was built in 1566 by Governor Anton Davalos. It was supposed to protect the anchorage and the Bahia de las Animas, a water lane into Plaza de lar Mar (current day Plaze de la Aduana), but the fort's battery had limited range. Then the French pirate Martin Cote struck in 1569 with 1,000 men, ransacking the city.[
A few months after the disaster of the invasion of Cote, a fire destroyed the city and forced the creation of a firefighting squad, the first in the Americas.
In 1568, Sir ]John Hawkins
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
tried to persuade Governor Martín de las Alas to open a trade fair in the city which would allow his men to sell foreign goods. This was a violation of Spanish law, which forbade trade with foreigners. Many in the settlement suspected this would have allowed Hawkins to sack the port afterwards; and as such the governor declined. Hawkins bombarded the city for 8 days, but failed to make any significant impacts and withdrew. Then Francis Drake
Sir Francis Drake ( – 28 January 1596) was an English explorer, sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician. Drake is best known for his circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition, from 1577 to 1580 (t ...
attacked in April 1586 with 23 ships and 3,000 men. Drake burned 200 houses and the cathedral, departing only after a ransom was paid a month later.
Spain then commissioned Bautista Antonelli in 1586 to design a master scheme for defending its Caribbean ports. This included a second visit to Cartagena in 1594 when he drew up plans for a walled city.
In 1610, the Holy Office of the Inquisition
The Inquisition was a group of institutions within the Catholic Church whose aim was to combat heresy, conducting trials of suspected heretics. Studies of the records have found that the overwhelming majority of sentences consisted of penances, ...
was established in Cartagena and The Palace of Inquisition
The Palace of the Inquisition, also known as the Inquisition Palace, ( es, Palacio de la Inquisición ) is an eighteenth-century the seat of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Cartagena, now in modern Colombia. Completed in 1770, it currentl ...
was completed in 1770. Sentences were pronounced in the main city plaza, today's Plaza de Bolivar, during the ''Autos de Fe'' ceremonies. Crimes under its jurisdiction included those of heresy
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
, blasphemy
Blasphemy is a speech crime and religious crime usually defined as an utterance that shows contempt, disrespects or insults a deity, an object considered sacred or something considered inviolable. Some religions regard blasphemy as a religiou ...
, bigamy
In cultures where monogamy is mandated, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their marital status as married persons. I ...
and witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
. A total of 767 people were punished, which ranged from fines, wearing a Sanbenito
Sanbenito (Spanish: ''sambenito''; Catalan: ''gramalleta'', ''sambenet'') was a penitential garment that was used especially during the Spanish Inquisition. It was similar to a scapular, either yellow with red saltires for penitent heretics, or ...
, life imprisonment, or even death for five unlucky souls. The Inquisition was abolished with independence in 1811.[
]
The first slaves were brought by Pedro de Heredia
Pedro de Heredia (c. 1505 in Madrid – January 27, 1554 in Zahara de los Atunes, Cádiz) was a Spanish conquistador, founder of the city of Cartagena de Indias and explorer of the northern coast and the interior of present-day Colombia.
Earl ...
to work as "macheteros", clearing the underbrush. By the 17th century, Cartagena had become an important slave market in the New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
, centered around the Plaza de los Coches. European slave traders began to bring enslaved peoples from Africa during this period. Spain was the only European power that did not establish factories
A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...
in Africa to purchase slaves and therefore the Spanish Empire relied on the asiento
The () was a monopoly contract between the Spanish Crown and various merchants for the right to provide African slaves to colonies in the Spanish Americas. The Spanish Empire rarely engaged in the trans-Atlantic slave trade directly from Afri ...
system, awarding merchants from other European nations the license to trade enslaved people to their overseas territories.[
Gov. ]Francisco de Murga
Francisco de Murga y Ortiz de Orué (1570? – 1636) was Spanish soldier and engineer who became Governor and Captain-General of Cartagena.
He was governor of Marmora in Africa when he was appointed to fortify the plaza of Cartagena. He was a ...
made the Inner Bay an "impregnable lagoon", according to Segovia, which included the forts ''El Boquerón'', ''Castillo Grande'', ''Manzanillo'', and ''Manga''. Besides the walls built to defend the historic district of Calamari, Francisco de Murga enclosed Getsemani with protective walls starting in 1631. This included the battery
Battery most often refers to:
* Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power
* Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact
Battery may also refer to:
Energy source
*Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...
of Media Luna of San Antonio, located between the bastion
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
s of Santa Teresa and Santa Barbara, which protected the only gate and causeway
A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...
to the mainland.[
The practice of '' Situado'' is exemplified in the magnitude of the city's subsidy between 1751 and 1810, when the city received the sum of 20,912,677 ]Spanish real
The ''real'' (English: /ɹeɪˈɑl/ Spanish: /reˈal/) (meaning: "royal", plural: ''reales'') was a unit of currency in Spain for several centuries after the mid-14th century. It underwent several changes in value relative to other units throu ...
es.
The Raid on Cartagena, in April 1697 during the Nine Years' War
The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...
, by Sir Bernard Desjean, Baron de Pointis
Bernard Desjean, Baron de Pointis (7 October 1645 – 24 April 1707) was a French admiral and privateer.
Pointis was born in Brittany. He took part in naval operations in the 1680s under Duquesne, like the bombardment of Algiers and the pu ...
and Jean Baptiste Ducasse
Jean-Baptiste du Casse (2 August 1646 – 25 June 1715) was a French privateer, admiral, and colonial administrator who served throughout the Atlantic World during the 17th and 18th centuries. Likely born 2 August 1646 in Saubusse, near Pau ( ...
was a severe blow to Cartagena. The Baron's forces included 22 large ships, 500 cannon, and 4,000 troops, while Ducasse's forces consisted of 7 ships and 1,200 buccaneers
Buccaneers were a kind of privateers or free sailors particular to the Caribbean Sea during the 17th and 18th centuries. First established on northern Hispaniola as early as 1625, their heyday was from the Restoration in 1660 until about 1688 ...
. They quickly overwhelmed Sancho Jimeno de Orozco
Don Sancho Jimeno de Orozco y Urnieta (1640–1707) was a Spanish military officer, nobleman, landowner and colonial administrator who served as the governor of Cartagena from 1693 to 1695. He was lord of the Castle of San Luis on the island of ...
's force of 30 men in the ''San Luis de Bocachica'' fortification. Then, ''San Felipe de Barajas'' also fell and the city came under bombardment. When the Half Moon Gate was breached and Getsemani island occupied, Governor Diego de los Rios capitulated. The Baron left after a month of plunder (roughly 2 million livres) and Ducasse followed a week later.[
When King ]Philip II Philip II may refer to:
* Philip II of Macedon (382–336 BC)
* Philip II (emperor) (238–249), Roman emperor
* Philip II, Prince of Taranto (1329–1374)
* Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342–1404)
* Philip II, Duke of Savoy (1438-1497)
* Philip ...
employed the Italian engineer Juan Bautista Antonelli to design a master plan of fortifications for Cartagena, construction would actually continue for the next two hundred years. On 17 March 1640, three Portuguese ships under the command of Rodrigo Lobo da Silva, ran aground in the Bocagrande Channel. This accelerated the formation of a sand bar
In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material and rises from the bed of a body of water to near the surface. It o ...
, which soon connected the Bocagrande Peninsula to the island of Tierrabomba. The defense of the bay then shifted to two forts on either side of Bocachica, ''San Jose'' and '' San Luis de Bocachica''. ''San Luis'' was replaced by ''San Fernando'' after the 1741 English raid. The next narrow passage was formed by the Island of Manzanillo, where ''San Juan del Manzanillo'' was constructed and ''Santa Cruz O Castillo Grande'' opposite on Cruz Grande at Punta Judio, both connected by a floating chain. Finally, there was ''San Felipe del Boquerón'', later ''San Sebastián del Pastelillo''. The city itself was circled with a ring of bastion
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
s connected by curtains
A curtain is a piece of cloth or other material intended to block or obscure light, air drafts, or (in the case of a shower curtain), water. A curtain is also the movable screen or drape in a theatre that separates the stage from the auditoriu ...
. The island of Getsemani was also fortified. Protecting the city on the landward side, atop San Lázaro hill, was the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
Castillo (Spanish for "castle") may refer to:
People
* Castillo (surname)
Places Geography Dominican Republic
* Castillo, Dominican Republic, a town in Duarte Province, Dominican Republic
Nicaragua
* El Castillo (municipality), a municipali ...
named in honor of Spain's King Philip IV and Governor Pedro Zapata de Mendoza, Marquis of Barajas
Pedro is a masculine given name. Pedro is the Spanish, Portuguese, and Galician name for ''Peter''. Its French equivalent is Pierre while its English and Germanic form is Peter.
The counterpart patronymic surname of the name Pedro, meaning ...
' father, the Count of Barajas. Completed in 1654, the fort was expanded in the 18th century, and included underground corridors and galleries.[
]
Viceregal era: 1717–1811
The 18th century began poorly for the city economically, as the Bourbon dynasty
The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...
discontinued the ''Carrera de Indias'' convoys. However, with the establishment of the Viceroyalty of New Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada ( es, Virreinato de Nueva Granada, links=no ) also called Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada or Viceroyalty of Santafé was the name given on 27 May 1717, to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in norther ...
and the constant Anglo-Spanish conflicts, Cartagena took on the stronghold as the "gateway to the Indies of Peru". By 1777, the city included 13,700 inhabitants with a garrison of 1300. The population reached 17,600 in 1809.[
In 1731, Juan de Herrera y Sotomayor founded the Military Academy of Mathematics and Practice of Fortifications in Cartagena. He is also known for designing the Puerta del Reloj starting in 1704.][
]
1741 attack
Starting in mid-April 1741, the city endured a siege by a large British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
armada under the command of Admiral Edward Vernon
Admiral Edward Vernon (12 November 1684 – 30 October 1757) was an English naval officer. He had a long and distinguished career, rising to the rank of admiral after 46 years service. As a vice admiral during the War of Jenkins' Ear, in 1 ...
. The engagement, known as Battle of Cartagena de Indias
The Battle of Cartagena de Indias ( es, Sitio de Cartagena de Indias, lit=Siege of Cartagena de Indias) took place during the 1739 to 1748 War of Jenkins' Ear between Spain and Britain. The result of long-standing commercial tensions, the war w ...
, was part of the larger War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear, or , was a conflict lasting from 1739 to 1748 between Britain and the Spanish Empire. The majority of the fighting took place in New Granada and the Caribbean Sea, with major operations largely ended by 1742. It is con ...
. The British armada included 50 warships, 130 transport ships, and 25,600 men, including 2,000 North American colonial infantry. The Spanish defense was under the command of Sebastián de Eslava
Sebastián de Eslava y Lazaga (January 19, 1685 in Enériz, Navarre – June 21, 1759 in Madrid) was a Spanish general and colonial official. From April 24, 1740 to November 6, 1749 he was viceroy of the newly reestablished Viceroyalty of Ne ...
and Don Blas de Lezo
Admiral Blas de Lezo y Olavarrieta (3 February 1689 – 7 September 1741) was a Spanish navy officer best remembered for the Battle of Cartagena de Indias (1741) in the Viceroyalty of New Granada, where Spanish imperial forces under his command ...
. The British were able to take the Castillo de San Luis at Bocachica and land marines on the island of Tierrabomba and Manzanillo. The North Americans then took La Popa hill.[
Following a failed attack on San Felipe Barajas on 20 April 1741, which left 800 British dead and another 1,000 taken prisoner, Vernon lifted the siege. By that time he had many sick men from tropical diseases. An interesting footnote to the battle was the inclusion of ]George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
's half brother, Lawrence Washington Laurence or Lawrence Washington may refer to:
*Laurence Washington (MP for Maidstone) (1546–1619), Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidstone
*Lawrence Washington (1622–1662), MP for Malmesbury
*Lawrence Washington (1565–1616), Mayor of Northam ...
, among the North American colonial troops. Lawrence later named his Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...
estate in honor of his commander.[
]
Silver Age (1750–1808)
In 1762, Antonio de Arebalo published his Defense Plan, the Report on the estate of defense on the avenues of Cartagena de Indias. This engineer continued the work to make Cartagena impregnable, including the construction from 1771 to 1778, of a 3400 yards long underwater jetty
A jetty is a structure that projects from land out into water. A jetty may serve as a breakwater, as a walkway, or both; or, in pairs, as a means of constricting a channel. The term derives from the French word ', "thrown", signifying somet ...
across the Bocagrande called the ''Escollera''. Arebalo had earlier completed ''San Fernando'', and the fort-battery of ''San Jose'' in 1759, then added ''El Angel San Rafael'' on El Horno hill as added protection across the Bocachica.[
Among the censuses of the 18th century was the special census of 1778, imposed by the governor of the time, D. ]Juan de Torrezar Diaz Pimienta
''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking communities around the world and in the Philippines, and also (pronounced differently) in the Isle of Man. In Spanish, t ...
– later Viceroy of New Granada – by order of the Marquis of Ensenada
A marquess (; french: marquis ), es, marqués, pt, marquês. is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman ...
, Minister of Finance – so that he would be provided numbers for his Catastro
In 1749 a large-scale census and statistical investigation was conducted in the Crown of Castile (15.000 castilian places; excluded the Basque provinces, Navarre and the Crown of Aragon). It included population, territorial properties, building ...
tax project, which imposed a universal property tax he believed would contribute to the economy while at the same time increasing royal revenues dramatically. The census of 1778, besides having significance for economic history, required each house to be described in detail and its occupants enumerated, making the census an important tool The census revealed what Ensenada had hoped. However, his enemies in the court convinced King Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
to oppose the tax plan.
1811 to the 21st century
For more than 275 years, Cartagena was under Spanish rule. With Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's imprisonment of Charles IV and Ferdinand VII
, house = Bourbon-Anjou
, father = Charles IV of Spain
, mother = Maria Luisa of Parma
, birth_date = 14 October 1784
, birth_place = El Escorial, Spain
, death_date =
, death_place = Madrid, Spain
, burial_plac ...
, and the start of the Peninsular War
The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was the military conflict fought in the Iberian Peninsula by Spain, Portugal, and the United Kingdom against the invading and occupying forces of the First French Empire during the Napoleonic Wars. In Spain ...
, the Latin American wars of independence
The Spanish American wars of independence (25 September 1808 – 29 September 1833; es, Guerras de independencia hispanoamericanas) were numerous wars in Spanish America with the aim of political independence from Spanish rule during the early ...
soon followed. In Cartagena, on 4 June 1810, Royal Commissioner Antonio Villavicencio and the Cartagena City Council banished the Spanish Governor Francisco de Montes on suspicions of sympathy for the French emperor and the French occupation forces which overthrew the king. A Supreme Junta was formed, along with two political parties, one led by Jose Maria Garcia de Toledo
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
* Jose ben Abin
* Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galile ...
representing the aristocrats, and a second led by Gabriel and German Piñeres representing the common people of Getsemani. Finally, on 11 November, a Declaration of Independence was signed proclaiming "a free state, sovereign and independent of all domination and servitude to any power on Earth".[ The support for a declaration of independence by working class leader and artisan Pedro Romero was key in pushing the Junta to adopting it.
Spain's reaction was to send a "pacifying expedition" under the command of ]Pablo Morillo
Pablo Morillo y Morillo, Count of Cartagena and Marquess of La Puerta, a.k.a. ''El Pacificador'' (The Peace Maker) (5 May 1775 – 27 July 1837) was a Spanish general.
Biography
Morillo was born in Fuentesecas, Zamora, Spain. In 1791 ...
, The Pacifier, and Pascual de Enrile, which included 59 ships, and 10,612 men. The city was placed under siege on 22 August 1815. The city was defended by 3000 men, 360 cannons, and 8 ships plus ancillary small watercraft, under the command of Manuel del Castillo y Rada and Juan N. Enslava. However, by that time, the city was under the rule of the Garcia de Toledo Party, having exiled German and Gabriel Piñeres, and Simon Bolivar
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
. By 5 December, about 300 people per day died from hunger or disease, forcing 2000 to flee on vessels provided by the French mercenary Louis Aury. By that time, 6000 had died. Morillo, in retaliation after entering the city, shot nine of the rebel leaders on 24 February 1816, at what is now known as the Camellon de los Martires. These included José María García de Toledo
José María García de Toledo y de Madariaga (11 February 1769 — 24 February 1816) was a Neogranadine lawyer and politician, who fought against the Royalist forces during the Patria Boba period that preceded the Colombian War of Independenc ...
and Manuel del Castillo y Rada.[
Finally, a patriot army led by General ]Mariano Montilla
Mariano Montilla (8 September 1782 in Caracas – 22 September 1851 in Caracas) was a major general of the Army of Venezuela in the Venezuelan War of Independence.
Biography
Youth
As a young man he went to Spain where he joined the Ameri ...
, supported by Admiral José Prudencio Padilla
Admiral José Prudencio Padilla López (19 March 1784, in Riohacha, – 2 October 1828) was a Neogranadine military leader who fought in the Spanish American wars of independence. He is best known for his victory in the Battle of Lake Mara ...
, laid siege to the city from August 1820 until October 1821. A key engagement was the destruction of almost all of the royalist ships anchored on Getsemani Island on 24 June 1821. After Governor Gabriel Torres surrendered, Simon Bolivar the Liberator, bestowed the title "Heroic City" onto Cartagena. The Liberator spent 18 days in the city from 20 to 28 July 1827, staying in the Government Palace in Proclamation Square and the guest of a banquet hosted by Jose Padilla at his residence on Calle Larga.[
Unfortunately, the toll of war, in particular from Morillo's siege long affected the city. With the loss of the funds it had received as the main colonial military outpost, and the loss of population, the city deteriorated. It suffered a long decline in the aftermath of independence, and was largely neglected by the central government in Bogotá. In fact, its population did not reach pre-1811 numbers until the start of the 20th century.
These declines were also due to disease, including a devastating cholera epidemic in 1849. The Canal del Dique that connected it to the Magdalena River also filled with silt, leading to a drastic reduction in the amount of international trade. The rise of the port of Barranquilla only compounded the decline in trade. During the presidency of Rafael Nuñez, who was a Cartagena native, the central government finally invested in a railroad and other infrastructure improvements and modernization that helped the city to recover.
Cartagena is the capital of the Bolívar department.
]
Geography
Location
Cartagena is located to the north of Colombia, at 10°25'N 75°32'W.
It faces the Caribbean Sea to the west. To the south is the Cartagena Bay, which has two entrances: Bocachica (Small Mouth) in the south, and Bocagrande (Big Mouth) in the north. Its coastal line is characterized morphologically by dissipative beaches.
Cartagena bay is an estuary with an area of approximately 84 km2.
Neighborhoods
Northern area
In this area is the Rafael Núñez International Airport
Rafael Núñez International Airport is an international airport serving the Caribbean port city of Cartagena, Colombia, Cartagena, Colombia. It is the largest airport in the country's northern Caribbean region in terms of passenger movement. It ...
, located in the neighborhood of Crespo, ten minutes' drive from downtown or the old part of the city and fifteen minutes away from the modern area. Zona Norte, the area located immediately north of the airport, contains hotels, the urban development office of Barcelona de Indias, and several educational institutions. The old city walls, which enclose the ''centro'' or downtown area and the neighborhood of San Diego, are located to the southwest of Crespo. On the Caribbean shore between Crespo and the old city lie the neighborhoods of Marbella and El Cabrero
El Cabrero is a neighborhood of Cartagena de Indias ( Colombia). It's situated in front of the Caribbean Sea, and in the other side, El Cabrero lagoon. On the southwest borders the walled Old City, specifically the defenses of San Lucas and Sant ...
.
Downtown
The Downtown area of Cartagena has varied architecture, mainly a colonial style, but republican and Italian style buildings, such as the cathedral's bell tower, can be seen.
The main entrance to downtown is the '' Puerta del Reloj'' (Clock Gate), which exits onto the ''Plaza de los Coches
A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...
'' (Square of the Carriages). A few steps farther is the ''Plaza de la Aduana'' (Customs Square), next to the mayor's office. Nearby is San Pedro Claver Square and the church also named for Saint Peter Claver
Peter Claver, SJ ( es, Pedro Claver y Corberó; ca, Pere Claver i Corberó; 26 June 1580 – 8 September 1654) was a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary born in Verdú (Catalonia, Spain) who, due to his life and work, became the patron saint ...
, where the body of the Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
saint ('Saint of the African slaves') is kept in a casket, as well as the Museum of Modern Art.
Nearby is the Plaza de Bolívar (Bolívar's Square) and the Palace of Inquisition
The Palace of the Inquisition, also known as the Inquisition Palace, ( es, Palacio de la Inquisición ) is an eighteenth-century the seat of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Cartagena, now in modern Colombia. Completed in 1770, it currentl ...
. Plaza de Bolívar (formerly known as Plaza de La Inquisicion) is essentially a small park with a statue of Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24 July 1783 – 17 December 1830) was a Venezuelan military and political leader who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and B ...
in the center. This plaza is surrounded by balconied colonial buildings. Shaded outdoor cafes line the street.
The Office of Historical Archives devoted to Cartagena's history is not far away. Next to the archives is the Government Palace, the office building of the Governor of the Department of Bolivar. Across from the palace is the Cathedral of Cartagena, which dates back to the 16th century.
Another religious building of significance is the Iglesia de Santo Domingo in front of Plaza Santo Domingo (Santo Domingo Square). In the square is the sculpture ''Mujer Reclinada'' ("Reclining Woman"), a gift from the notable Colombian artist Fernando Botero
Fernando Botero Angulo (born 19 April 1932) is a Colombian figurative artist and sculptor, born in Medellín. His signature style, also known as "Boterismo", depicts people and figures in large, exaggerated volume, which can represent political ...
. Nearby is the Tcherassi Hotel, a 250-year-old colonial mansion renovated by designer Silvia Tcherassi
Silvia Tcherassi (born 21 August 1965) is a Miami-based, fashion designer, born in Barranquilla, Atlantico, Colombia.
Personal life and education
Silvia Tcherassi was born on August 21, 1965 in Barranquilla, Colombia. She started her artistic ...
.
In the city is the Augustinian Fathers Convent and the University of Cartagena
The University of Cartagena ( es, link=no, Universidad de Cartagena), also called UniCartagena, is a departmental public coeducational research university based primarily in the city of Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia. The university offers educ ...
. This university is a center of higher education opened to the public in the late 19th century. The ''Claustro de Santa Teresa'' (Saint Theresa Cloister), which has been remodeled and has become a hotel operated by Charleston Hotels. It has its own square, protected by the San Francisco Bastion.
A 20-minute walk from downtown is the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas
The Castillo San Felipe de Barajas (San Felipe de Barajas Castle) is a fortress in the city of Cartagena, Colombia. The castle was built in 1536 and is located on the Hill of San Lázaro in a strategic location, dominating approaches to the cit ...
, located in el Pie de la Popa (another neighborhood), one of the greatest fortresses built by the Spaniards in their colonies. The tunnels were all constructed in such a way as to make it possible to hear footsteps of an approaching enemy. Some of the tunnels are open for viewing today.
San Diego
San Diego was named after the local San Diego Convent, now known as the Beaux Arts University Building. In front of it is the Convent of the Nuns of the Order of Saint Clare, now the Hotel Santa Clara. In the surrounding area is Santo Toribio Church, the last church built in the Walled City. Next to it is Fernández de Madrid Square, honoring Cartagena's hero, José Fernández de Madrid, whose statue can be seen nearby.
Inside the Old City is found Las Bóvedas
Las Bóvedas (The Vaults) are a structure in the Old City of Cartagena in Colombia, attached to the walls. The Caribbean Sea is visible from the top of the structure. They were built as dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisone ...
(The Vaults), a construction attached to the walls of the Santa Catalina Fortress. From the top of this construction the Caribbean Sea is visible.
Getsemaní
Once a district characterized by crime, Getsemani, just south of the ancient walled fortress, has become "Cartagena's hippest neighborhood and one of Latin America's newest hotspots", with plazas that were once the scene of drug dealing being reclaimed and old buildings being turned into boutique hotels.
Bocagrande
The Bocagrande (Big Mouth) is an area known for its skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
s. The area contains the bulk of the city's tourist facilities, such as hotels, shops, restaurants, nightclubs and art galleries. It is located between Cartagena Bay
Cartagena or Carthagena may refer to:
Places Chile
*Cartagena, Chile, a commune in Valparaíso Region
Colombia
* Cartagena, Colombia, a city in the Bolívar Department, the largest city with this name
** Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cartagena, ...
to the east and the Caribbean Sea to the west, and includes the two neighborhoods of El Laguito (The Little Lake) and Castillogrande (Big Castle). Bocagrande has long beaches and much commercial activity is found along Avenida San Martín (Saint Martin Avenue).
The beaches of Bocagrande, lying along the northern shore, are made of volcanic sand, which is slightly grayish in color. This makes the water appear muddy, though it is not. There are breakwaters about every .
On the bay side of the peninsula of Bocagrande is a seawalk. In the center of the bay is a statue of the Virgin Mary. The Naval Base is also located in Bocagrande, looking at the Bay.
Climate
Cartagena features a tropical wet and dry climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
. Humidity averages around 90%, with the rainy season typically lasting in May–November. The climate tends to be hot and windy.
Demographics
Economy
The main economic activities in Cartagena are industry, tourism, and commerce. The port of Cartagena is one of the largest of South America.
Industry
Other prominent companies include Cementos Argos
Grupo Argos S.A is a Colombian conglomerate with large investments in the cement and energy industries. Its cement company Argos has operations in Colombia, the United States, Panamá, Honduras and the Caribbean. Celsia, its energy company, owns ...
, Miss Colombia
Miss Colombia (Formally ''Concurso Nacional de Belleza de Colombia'', English: ''"National Beauty Contest of Colombia"'') is the national beauty pageant organization in Colombia.
The current Miss Colombia is Sofía Osío Luna of Atlántic ...
, Kola Román, Indufrial, Amazon Pepper, Vikings SA, Distribuidora Ltda Refrigeration, Central Ingenio Colombia, Perfumery Lemaitre, Cartagena Refinery Cellux Colombiana SA, Flour Three Castles, Polyban International SA, SABMiller
SABMiller plc was a South African multinational brewing and beverage company headquartered in Woking, England on the outskirts of London until 10 October 2016 when it was acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Prior to that date, it was the world's ...
, Dow Chemical, Cemex
CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V., known as Cemex, is a Mexican multinational building materials company headquartered in San Pedro, near Monterrey, Mexico. It manufactures and distributes cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates in more than 50 countries. ...
, Dole
Dole may refer to:
Places
* Dole, Ceredigion, Wales
* Dole, Idrija, Slovenia
* Dole, Jura, France
** Arrondissement of Dole
* Dole (Kladanj), a village at the entity line of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Republika Srpska
* Dole, Ljubušk ...
, and Abocol..
Miss Colombia
In 1934, Miss Colombia
Miss Colombia (Formally ''Concurso Nacional de Belleza de Colombia'', English: ''"National Beauty Contest of Colombia"'') is the national beauty pageant organization in Colombia.
The current Miss Colombia is Sofía Osío Luna of Atlántic ...
was founded in Cartagena de Indias. Known as ''Concurso Nacional de Belleza de Colombia'' (National Beauty Contest of Colombia), it is a national beauty pageant in Colombia. The winner, ''Señorita Colombia'', is sent to Miss Supranational
Miss Supranational is an annual international female beauty pageant, started in 2009, and with most contests held in Poland and a parallel male contest, Mister Supranational, began in 2016, also in Poland.
The current owners of Miss and Mister ...
and the first runner-up, ''Señorita Colombia Internacional'' or ''Virreina'', to Miss International
Miss International (''Miss International Beauty'' or ''The International Beauty Pageant'') is a Japan-based international beauty pageant organized by the International Culture Association. First held in 1960, it is the fourth largest pageant i ...
.
There is also a local beauty contest held with many of the city's neighbourhoods nominating young women to be named Miss Independence.
Free zones
Free zones are areas within the local territory which enjoy special customs and tax rules. They are intended to promote the industrialization of goods and provision of services aimed primarily at foreign markets and also the domestic market.
* ''Parque Central Zona Franca'': Opened in 2012 the zone is located in the municipality of Turbaco, within the District of Cartagena de Indias. It covers an area of . It has a permamente Zone (Phase 1 – Phase 2) and a Logistics and Commercial Zone for SMEs.
* ''Zona Franca Industrial Goods and Services ZOFRANCA Cartagena SA'': located from the city center, at the end of the industrial sector and has Mamonal private dock.
* ''Zona Franca Turística en Isla De Barú'': located on the island of Baru, within the swamp Portonaito. Approved in 1993 the tourist zone offers waterways, marine tourism and urban development.
Tourism
Tourism is a mainstay of the economy. The following are tourist sites that are within the walled city of Cartagena:
* Colonial architecture with Andalusian style roots. Many of the houses in Cartagena have balconies with tropical flowers.
* Convent, cloister and chapel of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de la Popa, located at the top of Mount Popa
* Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Alejandría
* Church and cloister of San Pedro Pedro Claver
* Convent and church of Santo Domingo
* Palace of Inquisition
The Palace of the Inquisition, also known as the Inquisition Palace, ( es, Palacio de la Inquisición ) is an eighteenth-century the seat of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Cartagena, now in modern Colombia. Completed in 1770, it currentl ...
* Teatro Heredia
* Cartagena Gold Museum
* Las Bóvedas
Las Bóvedas (The Vaults) are a structure in the Old City of Cartagena in Colombia, attached to the walls. The Caribbean Sea is visible from the top of the structure. They were built as dungeon
A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisone ...
* Clock Tower
Clock towers are a specific type of structure which house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another buildi ...
* Fortresses in Cartagena de Indias: Of the twenty fortresses comprising the walls in the district of Getsemaní, today 16 are still standing, preserved in good condition. In 1586, was commissioned to the most famous military engineer of the Crown of Spain in that time, the Italian Battista Antonelli
Battista Antonelli (or Bautista) (1547–1616) was a military engineer from a prestigious Italian family of military engineers in the service of the Habsburg monarchs of Austria and Spain.
Biography
Antonelli was born in Gatteo in Romagna, a ...
, the fortification of the city. The works of the project finally ended in the 17th century. Cartagena became an impregnable bastion, which successfully resisted the attacks of Baron Pontis to 1697. In the 18th century, new additions gave the fortified complex its current amplitude by engineer . The initial fortification system includes only the urban recint, the bastion port of San Matías at the entrance to the passage of Bocagrande, and the Tower of San Felipe del Boquerón that controlled the Bay of las Ánimas. Gradually, all passages were dominated by fortresses: fortress of San Luis, fortress of San José and fortress of San Fernando in Bocachica, fortress of San Rafaél and fortress of Santa Bárbara in Pochachica (the passage at southwest), fortress of Santa Cruz, fortress of San Juan de Manzanillo and fortress of San Sebasi de Pastellilo around the interior of Bahía, castle of San Felipe de Barajas, in the rock that dominates the city from the east and access to protected the Isthmus del Cerebro. The fortifications of San Felipe de Barajas in Cartagena, protected the city during numerous sieges, giving its character and reputation unassailable. These are described as a masterpiece of Spanish military engineering in the Americas.
The city has a budding hotel industry with small boutique hotels being primarily concentrated in the Walled City and larger hotels in the beach front neighborhood of Bocagrande. The area of Getsemaní just outside the wall is also a popular place for small hotels and hostels.
The following are tourist sites that are outside the city of Cartagena:
* Las Islas del Rosario: These islands are one of Colombia's most important national parks. Most of the islands can be reached in an hour or less from the city docks.
Infrastructure
Transportation
As the commercial and touristic hub of the country, the city has many transportation facilities, particularly in the seaport, air, and fluvial areas.
In 2003, the city started building Transcaribe
Transcaribe is a bus rapid transit (BRT) system which operates in the city of Cartagena, Colombia, and was inaugurated in March 2016. It consists of 16 stations, and centers around a dedicated bus lane along Avenida Pedro de Heredia from the El P ...
, a mass transit system. In 2015 the system began operating in the city. Taxis are also a prevalent form of public transportation and there is a bus terminal connecting the city to other cities along the coast and in Colombia.
Roads
The city is linked to the northern part of the Caribbean Region through roads 90 and 90A, more commonly called Central Caribbean Road. This road passes through Barranquilla
Barranquilla () is the capital district of Atlántico Department in Colombia. It is located near the Caribbean Sea and is the largest city and third port in the Caribbean Coast region; as of 2018 it had a population of 1,206,319, making it Col ...
, Santa Marta
Santa Marta (), officially Distrito Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta ("Touristic, Cultural and Historic District of Santa Marta"), is a city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It is the capital of Magdalena ...
and Riohacha
Riohacha (; Wayuu: ) is a city in the Riohacha Municipality in the northern Caribbean Region of Colombia by the mouth of the Ranchería River and the Caribbean Sea. It is the capital city of the La Guajira Department. It has a sandy beach waterfr ...
ending in Paraguachón
Paraguachón ( guc, Paalüwachon) is a corregimiento and community located east of Maicao, the municipality in which it is located. It is located in the La Guajira Department
La Guajira () is a department of Colombia. It occupies most of th ...
, Venezuela and continues with Venezuelan numeration all the way to Caracas
Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...
. Taxis in the city perimeter do not have fare meters.
The following roads are in the southeast portion of the city:
Road 25: Going through Turbaco
Turbaco is a municipality in the Bolívar Department of Colombia. It is about 20 minutes from Cartagena de Indias and is one of Bolívar's most organized municipalities. Turbaco is known for its famous "Fiesta de Toros" (Bulls's feast) in De ...
and Arjona Arjona may refer to:
* Arjona, Bolívar, Colombia
* Arjona, Spain
* Taifa of Arjona, a medieval taifa kingdom in Spain
* ''Arjona'' (plant), genus of plants in the family Schoepfiaceae
People with the surname
* Adria Arjona (born 1992), Puerto R ...
, and through the Montes de María when a fork divides it continuing to Sincelejo as National 25 and finally ending in Medellín
Medellín ( or ), officially the Municipality of Medellín ( es, Municipio de Medellín), is the second-largest city in Colombia, after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia. It is located in the Aburrá Valley, a central re ...
, and to the east to Valledupar
Valledupar () is a city and municipality in northeastern Colombia. It is the capital of Caesar Department. Its name, ''Valle de Upar'' (Valley of Upar), was established in honor of the Amerindian cacique who ruled the valley; ''Cacique Upar''. T ...
as number 80.
Road 25 A: Going also to Sincelejo
Sincelejo () is the capital and largest city of the Colombian department of Sucre. It is also the main city in the denominated '' Región Sabanas'' (Savannas Region), a subdivision of the Caribbean Region of Colombia, and the 23rd largest ci ...
, but avoiding the mountains, connects with Road 25 in the forementioned city.
Air
The Rafael Núñez International Airport
Rafael Núñez International Airport is an international airport serving the Caribbean port city of Cartagena, Colombia, Cartagena, Colombia. It is the largest airport in the country's northern Caribbean region in terms of passenger movement. It ...
is the busiest airport in Colombia's Caribbean region and the fourth in passenger traffic in the country. The code of the airport is CTG, having flights to almost all airports in Colombia including Bogota's El Dorado International Airport
El Dorado International Airport is an international airport serving Bogotá, Colombia and its surrounding areas. The airport is located mostly in the Fontibón district of Bogotá, although it partially extends into the Engativá district and ...
. Excessive operational costs and easier connection travel and better prices had led to the shifting of the Rafael Núñez's international connection passengers away from Bogota to the nearer Tocumen International Airport
Tocumen International Airport ( es, Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen) is the primary international airport serving Panama City, the capital of Panama. The airport serves as the homebase for Copa Airlines and is a regional hub to and from Th ...
in Panama and Queen Beatrix International Airport
Queen Beatrix International Airport ( nl, Internationale luchthaven Koningin Beatrix; pap, Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix), colloquially known as Aruba Airport , is an international airport located in Oranjestad, Aruba. It has flight s ...
in Aruba
Aruba ( , , ), officially the Country of Aruba ( nl, Land Aruba; pap, Pais Aruba) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about north of the Venezuela peninsula of ...
. Also, more companies prefer to serve the Colombian market from Cartagena, due to better geographical and atmospheric conditions.
Sea
Cartagena is the most important port of Colombia in the Caribbean.
The open ports of the city are:
* Port Society of Cartagena - Specializing in container management, this port is first of its class in the country, the third busiest port on the Caribbean Sea, and ranked 99th among ports of the world.
* Muelles El Bosque (El Bosque Docks) - specialized in grain storage, expanding to the container market
* Container Terminal of Cartagena - container management
Private ports of the city:
* The port of the Cartagena Oil Refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refined into useful products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, asphalt base, fuel oils, heating oil, kerosene, lique ...
(REFICAR S.A.)
* SABMiller
SABMiller plc was a South African multinational brewing and beverage company headquartered in Woking, England on the outskirts of London until 10 October 2016 when it was acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev. Prior to that date, it was the world's ...
brewery port
* Argos
Argos most often refers to:
* Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece
** Ancient Argos, the ancient city
* Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Argos or ARGOS may also refer to:
Businesses
...
cement port
* Dow Chemical raw materials embarkment port
* BASF
BASF Societas Europaea, SE () is a German multinational corporation, multinational chemical company and the List of largest chemical producers, largest chemical producer in the world. Its headquarters is located in Ludwigshafen, Germany.
The ...
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
raw materials embarkment port
* Du Pont private embarkment port
* Cemex
CEMEX S.A.B. de C.V., known as Cemex, is a Mexican multinational building materials company headquartered in San Pedro, near Monterrey, Mexico. It manufactures and distributes cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregates in more than 50 countries. ...
cement port
* Dole
Dole may refer to:
Places
* Dole, Ceredigion, Wales
* Dole, Idrija, Slovenia
* Dole, Jura, France
** Arrondissement of Dole
* Dole (Kladanj), a village at the entity line of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Republika Srpska
* Dole, Ljubušk ...
packing house
* Colombian Navy
)
, colors=
, march= ''"Viva Colombia, soy marinero"''
, mascot=
, battles= Battle of Lake Maracaibo Thousand Days War (Civil war) Colombia-Peru War World War II Korean War Colombian Armed Conflict Operation Atalanta
, notable_commanders= José ...
steelworks port
Canals
Since the 17th century the bay has been connected to the Magdalena River
The Magdalena River ( es, Río Magdalena, ; less commonly ) is the main river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of ...
by the Dique Canal, built by Governor Pedro Zapata de Mendoza. After Colombian independence, the canal was abandoned. Increasing centralization
Centralisation or centralization (see spelling differences) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning and decision-making, framing strategy and policies become concentrated within a particu ...
left the city without resources to maintain it. The last important maintenance work was done in the 1950s during Laureano Gómez
Laureano Eleuterio Gómez Castro (20 February 1889 – 13 July 1965) was a Colombian politician and civil engineer who served as the 18th President of Colombia from 1950 to 1953. In November 1951 poor health led him to cede presidential powe ...
's administration. Some improvements were made by local authorities in the 1980s. This was discontinued because of legal objections from the central government that decreed that the "maintenance" of the canal did not fall under the jurisdiction
Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels.
Jur ...
of the local government. From then on, maintenance of the canal has been delayed, though it is still functional.
Cartagenian political leaders have argued that this state of affairs might change with a return to pre-independence funding and tax system. Under such systems the canal would be maintained properly and even expanded, benefiting the national economy.
Waste disposal
Cartagena is one of the few cities in the world with a marine outfall
A marine outfall (or ocean outfall) is a pipeline or tunnel that discharges municipal or industrial wastewater, stormwater, combined sewer overflows (CSOs), cooling water, or brine effluents from water desalination plants to the sea. Usually they ...
, inaugurated in 2013, whose -long underwater section is the third longest in the world.
Education
Colleges and universities
* University of Cartagena
The University of Cartagena ( es, link=no, Universidad de Cartagena), also called UniCartagena, is a departmental public coeducational research university based primarily in the city of Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia. The university offers educ ...
* Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar The Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar is an institution of higher education in Colombia. accredited high quality in 2011. In 2015 it was recognized as the third best undergraduate university in the country according to the MIDE. From its found ...
Primary and secondary schools
International schools include:
* Corporacion Educativa Colegio Britanico de Cartagena (British)
* Colegio Jorge Washington (American)
Libraries
The city has many public and private libraries:
* The Universidad de Cartagena
The University of Cartagena ( es, link=no, Universidad de Cartagena), also called UniCartagena, is a departmental public coeducational research university based primarily in the city of Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia. The university offers edu ...
José Fernández Madrid
José Luis Álvaro Alvino Fernández Madrid (February 19, 1789 – June 28, 1830) was a Neogranadine statesman, physician, scientist and writer, who was President of the interim triumvirate of the United Provinces of New Granada in 1814, and Pre ...
Library: Started in 1821 when the university opened as the "University of Magdalena and Ithsmus". Serves mainly the students and faculty of this university but anyone can use its services.
:Divided in buildings across the city being assigned to the Faculties it serves accordingly each area. The main building is in C. de la Universidad 64 and the second biggest section is located in Av. Jose Vicente Mogollón 2839.
* The Bartolomé Calvo Library: Founded in 1843 and established in its current place in 1900, it is one of the main libraries on the Caribbean Coast and the largest in the city. Its address is Calle de la Inquisición, 23.
* The History Academy of Cartagena de Indias Library: Opened in 1903, many of its books date from more than a century before from donations of members and benefactors. Its entrance is more restricted due to secure handling procedure reasons as ancient books require, but it can be requested in the Academy office in Plaza de Bolivar 112.
* The Technological University of Bolívar Library: Opened in 1985 Although small in general size, its sections on engineering and electronics are immense and its demand is mostly on this area, being located in Camino de Arroyohondo 1829.
* The American Hispanic Culture Library: Opened in 1999, it already existed a smaller version without Spanish funding in the Casa de España since the early 1940s but in 1999 was enlarged to serve Latin America and the Caribbean in the old convent of Santo Domingo. It specializes in Hispanic Culture and History and is a continental epicenter of seminaries on history and restoration of buildings. The restoration of the convent and the enlargement of the library was and still is a personal project of Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I (;,
* ca, Joan Carles I,
* gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Nov ...
who visits it regularly. It is located in Plaza Santo Domingo 30, but its entrance is in C. Gastelbondo 52.
* Jorge Artel Library: Opened in 1997, serves the area of the southwest districts of the city, it is mostly for children. It is located in Camino del Socorro 222
* Balbino Carreazo Library: Located in Pasacaballos, a suburban neighborhood of the southeastern part of the city, serves mostly the suburbs of Pasacaballos, Ararca, Leticia del Dique and Matunilla. It is located in Plaza de Pasacaballos 321
* District Libraries: Although small, this system goes grassroots to neighborhoods circulating books, generally each district library has around 5000 books.
Culture
Theaters and concert halls
The first carnivals and western theaters that served in New Granada operated on, what is today, Calle del Coliseo. This was an activity patronized by the Viceroy Manuel de Guirior
Manuel de Guirior (in full, ''Manuel de Guirior y Portal de Huarte y Edozain, marqués de Guirior'') (1708 – November 25, 1788) was a Spanish naval officer and colonial administrator. He was viceroy of New Granada from 1772 to 1776 and of Pe ...
and Antonio Caballero y Góngora
Antonio Caballero y Góngora (in full, ''Antonio Pascual de San Pedro de Alcántara Caballero y Góngora'') (24 May 1723 in Priego de Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain – 24 March 1796 in Córdoba) was a Spanish Roman Catholic prelate in the coloni ...
, who, like their predecessors, spent most of the time of their mandates ruling in Cartagena.
* Teatro Adolfo Mejía: former Teatro Heredia, opened in 1911, inspired by the Teatro Tacón
Teatro may refer to:
* Theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific p ...
of Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. , was designed by Jose Enrique Jaspe. After years of abandonment, it was rebuilt in the 1990s and continues to be a cultural center. It is located in Plazuela de La Merced 5.
Sport
The main football club in the city is Real Cartagena
Real Cartagena is a professional Colombian football team based in Cartagena, that currently plays in the Categoría Primera B. They play their home games at the Jaime Morón León stadium.
History
The origins of Real Cartagena date back to 197 ...
.
Museums and galleries
* City Museum Palace of the Inquisition, opened in the 1970s
* Sanctuary and Museum of St. Maria Bernarda Bütler
María Bernarda Bütler (28 May 1848 – 19 May 1924) - born Verena Bütler - was a Swiss Roman Catholic professed religious and the foundress of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Sinners, and served in the missions in Ecuador a ...
(foundress of the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help)
World Heritage site
The port, the fortresses and the group of monuments of Cartagena were selected in 1984 by the (UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
) as significant to the heritage of the world, having the most extensive fortifications in South America. They are significant, too, for being located in a bay that is part of the Caribbean Sea. A system of zones divides the city into three neighborhoods: San Sebastian and Santa Catalina with the cathedral and many palaces where the wealthy lived and the main government buildings functioned; San Diego or Santo Toribio, where merchants and the middle class lived; and Getsemani, the suburban popular quarters.
Festivities
* January: The "Cartagena International Music Festival" (Cartagena Festival Internacional de Música), Classical music event that has become one of the most important festivals in the country. It is done in the Walled City for 10 days, during which are held classes, conferences and counted with the presence of national and international artists.
** "Fiesta Taurina del Caribe" (Caribbean Bullfight festival) (ultimately canceled, for maintenance of the scenario)
** "SummerLand Festival": Electronic music festival most important of the country
* February: "Fiestas de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria" (Feasts of Our Lady of Candelaria
The Virgin of Candelaria or Our Lady of Candle ( es, Virgen de Candelaria or ''Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria''), popularly called ''La Morenita'', celebrates the Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands (Spain). The cen ...
),
** "Festival del Frito"
* March: "International Film Festival of Cartagena" (Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena)
** " Miss Colombia
Miss Colombia (Formally ''Concurso Nacional de Belleza de Colombia'', English: ''"National Beauty Contest of Colombia"'') is the national beauty pageant organization in Colombia.
The current Miss Colombia is Sofía Osío Luna of Atlántic ...
"
** "Feria Nautica"
* April: "Festival del Dulce" (Festival of the Sweets)
* June–July: "Festival de Verano" (Summer Festival)
** "Sail Cartagena"
* November: "Fiestas del 11 de noviembre" (Feasts of 11 November or of the Independence)
* December: "Jazz Festival under the Moon" (Festival de Jazz bajo la Luna)
** "Cartagena Rock"
Media appearances
Film
* ''Burn!
''Burn!'' (original title: ''Queimada'') is a 1969 historical war drama film directed by Gillo Pontecorvo. Set in the mid-19th century, the film stars Marlon Brando as a British ''agent provocateur'' sent to overthrow a Portuguese colony in th ...
'' (1969), with Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
, was filmed in Cartagena.
* In the movie ''Romancing the Stone
''Romancing the Stone'' is a 1984 action-adventure romantic comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Diane Thomas and produced by Michael Douglas, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito. The f ...
'' (1984), romance novelist Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner
Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards.
Turner became widely k ...
) travels to Cartagena to deliver a treasure map, in an effort to ransom her kidnapped sister. The Cartagena scenes were actually filmed in Mexico. In the movie, Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...
' character refers to it as Cartage(ny)a. This has largely been adopted by tourists and is an irritant to the locals. The "N" in Cartagena is hard.
* The film '' The Mission'' (1986), with Robert De Niro
Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of various accolades ...
, was filmed in Cartagena and Brazil[''The Mission'']
– IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
* The film ''Love in the Time of Cholera
''Love in the Time of Cholera'' ( es, El amor en los tiempos del cólera) is a novel written in Spanish by Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez and published in 1985. Edith Grossman's English translation was published by ...
'' (2007) was filmed in Cartagena.
* Scenes of '' Gemini Man'' (2019), with Will Smith
Willard Carroll Smith II (born September 25, 1968), also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor and rapper. He began his Will Smith filmography, acting career starring as Will Smith (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), a ...
, were filmed in Cartagena.
Television
* In the ''Family Guy
''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'' episode " Barely Legal", the mayor, thinking the film is real, sends all the city's police officers to Cartagena
* Cartagena figured prominently in the "Smuggler's Blues" (1985) episode of ''Miami Vice
''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...
'', featuring guest star Glenn Frey
Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American singer, guitarist and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. Frey was the co-lead singer and frontman for the Eagles, roles he came to share with fellow member Don ...
and his song "Smuggler's Blues"
* Cartagena is featured as the backdrop for the '' NCIS'' episodes " Agent Afloat" and " The Missionary Position".
* The 30th installment of MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's reality competition series, titled '' The Challenge XXX: Dirty 30'', was filmed in Cartagena.
* In the ''Orphan Black
''Orphan Black'' is a Canadian Science fiction on television, science-fiction Thriller (genre), thriller television series created by screenwriter Graeme Manson and director John Fawcett (director), John Fawcett and starring Tatiana Maslany. Th ...
'' episode "To Right the Wrongs of Many", Delphine and Cosima are in Cartagena, where Delphine is giving the cure to the Leda clone found there.
* The Colombian Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
show ''Siempre Bruja
''Always a Witch'' ( es, Siempre Bruja) is a Colombian streaming television series starring Angely Gaviria, Sofia Bernal Araujo, Dylan Fuentes, Valeria Henríquez, Carlos Quintero with Lenard Vanderaa. The plot revolves around Carmen Eguiluz (An ...
'' (Always a Witch) is set in Cartagena.
* In ''The Amazing Race 28
''The Amazing Race 28'' is the twenty-eighth season of the American reality television show '' The Amazing Race''. It featured eleven teams consisting of two notable social media personalities competing in a race around the world.
The season pre ...
'', the second and third legs were set in Cartagena and required teams to visit various locations throughout the city.
* In Season 10 of ''The Real Housewives of New York City
''The Real Housewives of New York City'' (abbreviated ''RHONY'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on March 4, 2008. Developed as the second installment of ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has aired thirteen ...
'', the annual cast vacation takes place in Cartagena.
Literature
* A fictionalized version of the 1697 raid on Cartagena is chronicled in the novel '' Captain Blood'' (1922).
* Gabriel García Márquez
Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...
's novel ''Love in the Time of Cholera
''Love in the Time of Cholera'' ( es, El amor en los tiempos del cólera) is a novel written in Spanish by Colombian Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez and published in 1985. Edith Grossman's English translation was published by ...
'' is set in an unnamed city based on Cartagena. García Márquez has also said that Cartagena influenced the setting of ''The Autumn of the Patriarch
''The Autumn of the Patriarch'' (original Spanish title: ''El otoño del patriarca'') is a novel written by Gabriel García Márquez in 1975.
A "poem on the solitude of power" according to the author, the novel is a flowing tract on the life of a ...
''.[{{cite journal, last1=Williams, first1=Raymond Leslie, title=The Visual Arts, the Poetization of Space and Writing: An Interview with Gabriel García Márquez, journal=PMLA, date=March 1989, volume=104, issue=2, pages=131–40, doi=10.2307/462499, jstor=462499, s2cid=163626383 ] His novel ''Of Love and Other Demons
''Of Love and Other Demons'' ( es, Del amor y otros demonios, link=no) is a novel by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez published in 1994.
In the prologue, García Márquez claims the novel is the fictional representation of a legend t ...
'' takes place in Cartagena in the 1600s.{{citation needed, date=October 2015
* The first chapter of Brian Jacques
James Brian Jacques (, as in "Jakes"; 15 June 1939 – 5 February 2011) was an English novelist known for his ''Redwall'' series of novels and ''Castaways of the Flying Dutchman'' series. He also completed two collections of short stories entit ...
' novel ''The Angel's Command
''The Angel's Command'' is a 2003 novel by Brian Jacques, author of the popular children's series '' Redwall'', and the sequel to '' Castaways of the Flying Dutchman''. It follows the adventures of an immortal boy and his dog as they face pirates ...
'' (2003) takes place in Cartagena in 1628.{{citation needed, date=October 2015
* The poem "Románc" (1983) by Sándor Kányádi
Sándor Kányádi (; 10 May 1929 – 20 June 2018) was a Hungarian poet and translator from the region of Transylvania, Romania. He was one of the most famous and beloved contemporary Hungarian poets. He was a major contributor to Hungarian ch ...
talks about the beauty of Cartagena.{{citation needed, date=October 2015
* The second story in Nam Le's award-winning book of short fiction, ''The Boat'' (2008) is called "Cartagena" and set in Colombia. Cartagena in the story is more an idea than a place.{{citation needed, date=October 2015
* A portion of the 2014 novel ''The Bone Clocks
''The Bone Clocks'' is a novel by British writer David Mitchell. It was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize 2014, and called one of the best novels of 2014 by Stephen King. The novel won the 2015 World Fantasy Award.
The novel is divided i ...
'' by David Mitchell (author)
David Stephen Mitchell (born 12 January 1969) is an English novelist, television writer, and screenwriter.
He has written nine novels, two of which, ''number9dream'' (2001) and ''Cloud Atlas'' (2004), were shortlisted for the Booker Prize. He ...
is set in the city.
* A 2015 novel by Claudia Amengual
Claudia Amengual Puceiro (born 7 January 1969, in Montevideo) is a Uruguayan writer and translator. She is a recipient of the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize.
Biography
She obtained her degrees in translation and literature at the University ...
is named '' Cartagena''.
* The poem "A mi ciudad nativa" is in honor of Cartagena
Video games
* The city is the scene of two levels in the video game '' Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception''.
Music
Champeta is a musical genre whose main variants are rooted in Cartagena and Barranquilla.
* On the album '' Corazón Profundo'', Carlos Vives
Carlos Alberto Vives Restrepo (born 7 August 1961) is a Colombian singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his interpretation of traditional music styles of Colombia such as vallenato, cumbia, champeta, bambuco and porro as well as genres ...
honored the city of Cartagena, calling it "The Fantastic City" (in Spanish: La fantástica).
* The 2016 song "Otra Vez" by Zion & Lennox
Zion & Lennox are a reggaeton music duo from Carolina, Puerto Rico. In 2004, Zion & Lennox released their first studio album titled ''Motivando A La Yal'' under White Lion Records. After their first album, Zion & Lennox decided to start their own ...
mentions Cartagena.
* The song "1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)" by Alestorm off their 2014 Album ''Sunset on the Golden Age
''Sunset on the Golden Age'' is the fourth album by Scottish heavy metal band Alestorm. It was released on 1 August 2014 by Napalm Records. It is the band's first album to feature new permanent band member, Elliot Vernon, on keyboards and the l ...
'' is about the 1741 siege of Cartagena.
Notable people
* Joe Arroyo
Álvaro José Arroyo González (also known as Joe Arroyo or El Joe; 1 November 1955 – 26 July 2011) was a Colombian salsa and tropical music singer, composer and songwriter. He was considered one of the greatest performers of Caribbean music i ...
, salsa music composer and singer
* Valeria Ayos
Valeria Maria Ayos Bossa (born 20 March 1994) is a Colombian beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Colombia 2021. She represented Colombia at the Miss Universe 2021 pageant in Israel where she finished as a Top 5 finalist. S ...
, Miss Universe Colombia 2021
* Alvaro Barrios, conceptual artist
* Bartolomé Calvo, politician, journalist, Governor of Panama
This article lists the heads of state of Panama since the short-lived first independence from the Republic of New Granada in 1840 and the final separation from Colombia in 1903.
Free State of the Isthmus (1840–1841)
Republic of Panama (1 ...
(1856–58), President of the Granadine Confederation in 1861
* Bernardo Caraballo
Bernardo Caraballo (1 January 1942 – 20 January 2022) was a Colombian boxer, and perennial world title contender, of the 1960s and 70s. He was born in Cartagena.
His name ended up being used for the uncontacted Carabayo people of Amazonas.Seif ...
, boxer
* Alfonso Múnera Cavadía, diplomat and historian
* Antonio Cervantes
Antonio Cervantes (born December 23, 1945) is a Colombian boxing trainer and former professional boxer who competed from 1961 to 1983. He held the WBA and ''The Ring'' light welterweight title twice between 1972 and 1980.
In 2002, Cervantes ...
, boxer
* Saint Peter Claver SJ, Jesuit priest, pastor and missionary to the slaves brought to Cartagena ("Slave of the slaves forever"), human rights advocate. Beatified
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
1850 by Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...
, canonized
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christianity, Christian communion declaring a person worthy of Cult (religious practice), public veneration and enterin ...
1888 by Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
. 1985, the Colombian Congress
The Congress of the Republic of Colombia ( es, Congreso de la República de Colombia) is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature.
The Congress of Colombia consists of the 108-seat Senate, and the 188-seat Chamber of Re ...
declared 9 September, his feast day, as Human Rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
national day in his honor.
* Germán Espinosa
Germán Espinosa Villareal (April 30, 1938 – October 17, 2007) was a Colombian novelist, poet and author born and based in Cartagena, Colombia. He wrote over forty works over the course of his career. He often used his native Cartagena f ...
, writer, author of "La Tejedora de Coronas" (The weaver of crowns) and 40 other works[{{cite news, url=http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-cartagena-colombia-revels-in-love-sans-cholera29oct07, title=Cartagena, Colombia revels in love, sans cholera, last=McDonnell, first=Patrick J., date=29 October 2007, work=]Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721141432/http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-cartagena-colombia-revels-in-love-sans-cholera29oct07, archive-date=21 July 2011, access-date=21 January 2017
* José María García de Toledo
José María García de Toledo y de Madariaga (11 February 1769 — 24 February 1816) was a Neogranadine lawyer and politician, who fought against the Royalist forces during the Patria Boba period that preceded the Colombian War of Independenc ...
, politician, early "juntismo" movement member, later independentist; President of the Supreme Junta of Cartagena (1810–11)
* Laura González, Miss Colombia 2017
Miss Colombia 2017 was the 64th edition of the Miss Colombia pageant. It was held on March 20, 2017 in Cartagena, Colombia.
At the end of the event, Andrea Tovar of Chocó Department, Chocó crowned Laura González (Miss Colombia), Laura Gonzále ...
* Enrique Grau
Enrique Grau (December 18, 1920 – April 1, 2004) was a Colombian artist best known for his depictions of Amerindian and Afro-Colombian figures. He was a member of the triumvirate of key Colombian artists of the 20th century which included Fernan ...
, painter, born in Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
but raised in the city where most of his work was done and inspired
* Dilson Herrera
Dilson José Herrera García (born March 3, 1994) is a Colombian professional baseball second baseman for the Staten Island FerryHawks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...
, professional baseball player
* Zharick León
Zharick Andrea León Villalba (born 17 November 1974) is a Colombian actress and model. She is known for her modeling work and portrayal of characters in '' Doña Bella'', ''Pasión de Gavilanes'', and for her leading role in '' Los Ajenos Fútb ...
, actress
* Nereo Lopez Nereo may refer to:
*An alternative name of the Greek deity Nereus
* Nereo Cave, a huge underwater sea-cave in the Coral riviera of Alghero, Italy
* Nereo Bolzon (born 1960), Canadian football player
* Nereo Champagne (born 1985), Argentine football ...
, documentary photographer
* Manuel Medrano
Manuel Alejandro Medrano López (October 29, 1987, Cartagena, Colombia), known as Manuel Medrano, is a Colombian pop singer and a winner of two Latin Grammy Awards.
Start
His singing and songwriting are a way of saying thanks for supporting ...
, singer
* Andrea Nocetti
Andrea María Nocetti Gómez (born 18 March 1978) is a Colombian model, actress, and former Miss Colombia 2000.
Nocetti started her career as a model. She became Miss Colombia, representing Cartagena, in November 2000. Her first television app ...
, Miss Colombia 2001
* Rafael Núñez, politician, journalist, diplomat, writer, lawyer and judge. Dominant political figure in Colombia in the 19th century, and the first to did so by civil means: In 1848 just after another civil war entered in local politics. Then became MP for Cartagena in the Colombian Congress
The Congress of the Republic of Colombia ( es, Congreso de la República de Colombia) is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature.
The Congress of Colombia consists of the 108-seat Senate, and the 188-seat Chamber of Re ...
, also was Governor of Bolívar (1854), then briefly Minister of War in 1855–57. President of the Sovereign State of Bolivar
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'.
The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...
twice, (1876–77) (1879–80) was finally elected 4 times President of Colombia
The president of Colombia ( es, Presidente de Colombia), officially known as the president of the Republic of Colombia ( es, Presidente de la República de Colombia) or president of the nation ( es, Presidente de la Nacion) is the head of stat ...
. During this time the country stabilized and the economy grew after decades of civil war and established the foundations for civil-led government with the Colombian Constitution of 1886
The Colombian Constitution of 1886 was the constitution that remade the United States of Colombia into the Republic of Colombia, and replaced the federal republic with a unitary state. Following the Civil War of 1884, a coalition of moderate ...
that lasted 105 years. Also wrote the country's national anthem.
* Laura Olascuaga
Laura Victoria Olascuaga Pinto (born 19 June 1995 in Cartagena, Colombia) is a Colombian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Colombia 2020 pageant on November 16, 2020. She represented Colombia at Miss Universe 2 ...
, Miss Universe Colombia 2020
Miss Universe Colombia 2020 was the first edition of the Miss Universe Colombia pageant, under its new organization. The competition was held on 16 November 2020 in Barranquilla.
Catriona Gray crowned Laura Olascuaga of Bolívar at the end o ...
* Alfonso Pérez
Alfonso Pérez Muñoz (born 26 September 1972), known simply as Alfonso, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Having represented both Real Madrid and Barcelona during his career, Alfonso possessed above-avera ...
, boxer
* Carlos Pizarro Leongómez
Carlos Pizarro Leongómez (6 June 1951 – 26 April 1990) was the fourth commander of the Colombian guerrilla group 19th of April Movement (''Movimiento 19 de Abril'') (M-19). Pizarro later ran for president of Colombia after the demobilization ...
, guerrilla fighter for the 19th of April Movement
* Sabas Pretelt de la Vega
Sabas Pretelt de la Vega (born April 11, 1946) is a Colombian economist and businessman, who served as Colombian Minister of the Interior and Justice, and Ambassador to the Colombian missions in Italy, Greece, Cyprus, San Marino, and Malta. He ...
, politician and ambassador, Minister of Interior (2003–06)
* Frey Ramos
Frey David Ramos Marrugo (born April 25, 1989), known as Frey Ramos, is a Colombian football midfield, who currently plays for Millonarios in the Categoría Primera A.
Ramos is a product of the Millonarios youth system and played with the Millo ...
, footballer
* Ramses Ramos
Ramsés Ramos (born 1964) is a Colombian actor.
Born in Cartagena, Colombia, Ramsés studied Law but abandoned it to pursue studies in Dramatic Arts at Escuela de Actores del Teatro Libre.
Ramos is known for his roles in ''Tiempos Difíciles' ...
, actor
* Hugo Soto
Hugo Emilio Soto Miranda (born September 28, 1983) is a Colombian footballer who plays for Zamora in the Venezuelan league. His usual position is central defender
Honours
Player
La Equidad
*Copa Colombia (2008)
See also
*Football in Colo ...
, footballer
* Julio Teherán
Julio Alberto Teherán Pinto (born January 27, 1991) is a Colombian professional baseball pitcher in the San Diego Padres organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, and Detroit Tigers. ...
, professional baseball player[{{Cite web, url=http://jeffschultz.blog.myajc.com/2014/02/14/braves-sign-julio-teheran-to-six-year-extension/, title=Braves sign Julio Teheran to six-year extension {{! Jeff Schultz blog, last=VIP, first=WordPress com, access-date=21 January 2017]
* Gio Urshela
Giovanny Urshela Salcedo (born October 11, 1991) is a Colombian professional baseball third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Blue Jays, New Yor ...
, professional baseball player
* Rodrigo Valdez
Rodrigo is a Spanish, Portuguese and Italian name derived from the Germanic name ''Roderick'' ( Gothic ''*Hroþareiks'', via Latinized ''Rodericus'' or ''Rudericus''), given specifically in reference to either King Roderic (d. 712), the last Vi ...
, boxer
* Kevin Flórez, singer
* Karoll Márquez
Karoll Iván Márquez Mendoza, (born c. 1984) is a Colombia, Colombian actor and singer, known for his starring role in the Caracol Televisión soap opera ''Oye bonita''. He is also known for his roles in ''Un sueño llamado salsa'' (2010) and '' ...
, singer
* Teresa Román Vélez
Teresita Román de Zurek (29 December 1925 – 2 May 2021) was a Colombian writer and chef.El fogón de D'Artagnan - Page 249
Roberto Posada García-Peña, Benjamín Villegas - 2005 "Y así también lo describe Teresita Román de Zurek en su estu ...
, writer
* Orlando Cabrera
Orlando Luis Cabrera Ramírez, nicknamed "O-Cab" and "The OC", (born November 2, 1974) is a Colombian-American former baseball infielder.
He won a World Series championship in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox. He also played for the Montreal Expos ...
, baseball player
See also
* List of colonial buildings in Cartagena, Colombia This is a list of impórtant colonial buiildings in Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena ( , also ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coas ...
* San Basilio de Palenque
San Basilio de Palenque or Palenque de San Basilio, often referred to by the locals simply as Palenke, is a Palenque village and corregimiento in the Municipality of Mahates, Bolivar in northern Colombia. Palenque was the first free African to ...
, according to UNESCO, the first free African town in the Americas, located 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Cartagena de Indias
* Rosario Islands
The Rosario Islands (Islas del Rosario), also referred to as Corales Islas del Rosario (Coral Islands of Rosario), is an archipelago located off the coast of Colombia, approximately from Cartagena. It is one of the 46 Natural National Parks ...
, an archipelago located 100 kilometres (62 miles) from Cartagena with a large coral reef
* List of tallest buildings in Cartagena
This list ranks skyscrapers in Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena ( , also ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, borderi ...
*
* Manuel Rodríguez Torices
Manuel Rodríguez Torices (full birth name Manuel Juan Robustiano de los Dolores Rodríguez Torices y Quiroz) (May 24, 1788 – October 5, 1816) was a Neogranadine statesman, lawyer, journalist, and Precursor of the Independence of Col ...
* Cartagena Manifesto
The Cartagena Manifesto was written by Simón Bolívar during the Colombia#Independence from Spain, Colombian and Venezuelan War of Independence, after the fall of the First Republic of Venezuela, First Republic, explaining what he believed to be t ...
* United Provinces of New Granada
The United Provinces of New Granada was a country in South America from 1810 to 1816, a period known in Colombian history as '' la Patria Boba'' ("the Foolish Fatherland"). It was formed from areas of the New Kingdom of Granada, roughly corres ...
* Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), or Greater Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 18 ...
* War of the Supremes
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regula ...
* 1829–51 cholera pandemic, in which 4000 Cartageneros died in 1849[{{rp, 72
]
Notes
{{reflist, group=Note
References
{{Reflist
Further reading
Colonial history
{{Div col
* Álvarez Alonso, Fermina. ''La Inquisición en Cartagena de Indias durante el siglo XVII''. Madrid: Fundación Universitaria Española, 1999.
* Bossa Herrazo, Donaldo. ''Nomenclatur cartagenero''. 1981.
* Böttcher, Nikolaus. "Negreros portugueses y la Inquisición de Cartagena de Indias, siglo XVII." Memoria 9 (2003): 38–55.
* Dorta, Enrique Marco. ''Cartagena de Indias: Puerto y plaza fuerte''. 1960.
* Escobar Quevedo, Ricardo. "Los Criptojudíos de Cartagena de Indias: Un eslabón en la diáspora conversa (1635–1649)." Anuario Colombiano de Historia Social y de la Cultura 29 (2002): 45–71.
* Fals-Borda, Orlando. ''Historia doble de la costa''. 4 vols. 1979–1986.
* Goodsell, James Nelson. "Cartagena de Indias: Entrepôt for a New World, 1533–1597." PhD dissertation, Harvard University 1966.
* Grahn, Lance R. "Cartagena and Its Hinterland in the Eighteenth Century" in ''Atlantic Port Cities: Economy, Culture, and Society in the Atlantic World, 1650–1850''. Franklin W. Knight and Peggy K. Liss, eds. 1991, pp. 168–95.
* Grahn, Lance R. "Cartagena" in ''Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture'', vol. 1, pp. 581–82. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1996.
* Greenow, Linda. ''Family, Household, and Home: A Microgeographic Analysis of Cartagena (New Granada) in 1777''. 1976.
* Greenow, Linda. "Urban form in Spanish American colonial cities: Cartagena de Indias, New Granada, in 1777." Department of Geography Suny-New Paltz, NY. Middle States Geographer (2007).
* Lemaitre, Eduardo. ''Historia general de Cartagena''. 4 vols. Bogota: Banco de la República, 1983.
* McKnight, Kathryn Joy. "Confronted Rituals: Spanish Colonial and Angolan" Maroon" Executions in Cartagena de Indias (1634)." Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History 5.3 (2004).
* Medina, José Toríbio. ''Historia del Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicón de Cartagena de Indias''. Santiago: Imprenta Elzeviriana, 1899.
* Meisel, Adolfo. "Subsidy-Led Growth In A Fortified Port: Cartagena De Indias And The Situado, 1751–1810." Borradores de Economía 167 (2000).
* Molino García, María Paulina. "La sede vacante en Cartagena de Indias, 1534–1700." ''Anuario de Estudios Americanos'' 32 (1975): 1–23.
* Newson, Linda A., and Susie Minchin. "Slave mortality and African origins: a view from Cartagena, Colombia, in the early seventeenth century." ''Slavery & Abolition'' 25.3 (2004): 18–43.
* Olsen, Margaret M. ''Slavery and Salvation in Colonial Cartagena de Indias''. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2004.
* Pacheco, Juan Manuel. "Sublevación portuguesa en Cartagena." Boletín de historia y antigüedades 42 (1955): 557–60.
* Rey Fajardo, José del. ''Los jesuitas en Cartagena de Indias, 1604–1767''. Bogota: Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 2004.
* Rocha, Carlos Guilherme. "A disputa por poder em Cartagena das Índias: o embate entre o governador Francisco de Murga e o Tribunal do Santo Ofício (1629–1636)." (2013).
* Ruiz Rivera, Julián B. "Cartagena de Indias: ¿Un cabildo cosmopolita en una ciudad pluriétnica?" In ''El municipio indiano: Relaciones interétnicas, económicas y sociales. Homenaje a Luis Navarro García'', edited by Manuela Cristina García Bernal and Sandra Olivero Guidobono, 407–24. Seville: Universidad de Sevilla, 2009.
* –––. "Gobierno, comercio y sociedad en Cartagena de Indias en el siglo XVII." In ''Cartagena de Indias en el siglo XVII'', edited by Haroldo Calvo Stevenson and Adolfo Meisel Roca, 353–76. Cartagena: Banco de la República, 2007.
* –––. "Los regimientos de Cartagena de Indias." In ''La venta de cargos y el ejercicio del poder en Cartagena de Indias'', edited by Julián B. Ruiz Rivera y Ángel Sanz Tapia, 199–221. León: Universidad de León, 2007.
* –––. ''Cartagena de Indias y su provincia: Una mirada a los siglos XVII y XVIII''. Bogota: El Áncora Editores, 2005.
* –––. "Municipio, puerto y provincia (1600–1650)." In Julián B. Ruiz Rivera, ''Cartagena de Indias y su provincia: Una mirada a los siglos XVII y XVIII'', 203–24. Bogota: El Áncora Editores, 2005.
* –––. "Vanquésel, casa de préstamos en Cartagena de Indias." In ''Estudios sobre América: siglos XVI–XX'', edited by Antonio Gutiérrez Escudero and María Luisa Laviana Cuetos, 673–89. Seville: Asociación Española de Americanistas, 2005.
* –––. "Una banca en el mercado de negros de Cartagena de Indias." ''Temas americanistas'' 17 (2004): 3–23.
* –––. "Los portugueses y la trata negrera en Cartagena de Indias." ''Temas americanistas'' 15 (2002): 19–41.
* Salazar, Ricardo Raul. "Running Chanzas: Slave-State Interactions in Cartagena de Indias, 1580 to 1713." Diss. Harvard University, 2014.
* Sánchez Bohórquez, José Enrique. "La Inquisición en América durante los siglos XVI–XVII: Los dominicos y el Tribunal de Cartagena de Indias." In ''Praedicatores inquisitores, vol. 2, La Orden Dominicana y la Inquisición en el mundo ibérico e hispanoamericano'', 753–808. Rome: Istituto Storico Domenicano, 2006.
* Solano Alonso, Jairo. ''Salud, cultura y sociedad en Cartagena de Indias, siglos XVI y XVII'' In ''De la Roma Medieval a la Cartagena Colonial: El Santo Oficio de la Inquisición. Vol. I of Cincuenta Años de Inquisición en el Tribunal de Cartagena deIndias, 1610–1660'', edited by Anna María Splendiani, et al. Bogotá: Centro EditorialJaveriano, 1997.. Barranquilla: Universidad del Atlántico, 1998.
* Splendiani, Anna María, et al. eds. ''De la Roma Medieval a la Cartagena Colonial: El Santo Oficio de la Inquisición. Vol. I of Cincuenta Años de Inquisición en el Tribunal de Cartagena de Indias, 1610–1660'', Bogotá: Centro Editorial Javeriano, 1997.
* Tejado Fernández, Manuel. "El tribunal de Cartagena de Indias: La primera mitad del siglo XVII(1621–1650)." In ''Historia de la Inquisición en España y América'', 3 vols., edited by Joaquín Pérez Villanueva and Bartolomé Escandell Bonet, I.1141–45. Madrid: Centro de Estudios Inquisitoriales, 1984.
* –––. "La ampliación del dispositivo: Fundación del Tribunal de Cartagena de Indias." In ''Historia de la Inquisición en España y América'', 3 vols., edited by Joaquín Pérez Villanueva and Bartolomé Escandell Bonet, I.984–95. Madrid: Centro de Estudios Inquisitoriales, 1984.
* –––. ''Aspectos de la vida social en Cartagena de Indias durante el seiscientos''. Seville: Escuela de Estudios Hispano-Americanos, 1954.
* –––. "Un foco de judaísmo en Cartagena de Indias durante el seiscientos." ''Bulletin Hispanique'' 52 (1950): 55–72.
* Vidal Ortega, Antonino. ''Cartagena de Indias y la región histórica del Caribe, 1580–1640''. Seville: Escuela de Estudios Hispano-Americanos, 2002.
* –––. "Portugueses negreros en Cartagena, 1580–1640," in ''IV Seminario internacional de estudios del Caribe: Memorias'', 135–54. Bogota: Fondo de Publicaciones de la Universidad del Atlántico, 1999.
* Vila Vilar, Enriqueta
Enriqueta Vila Vilar (born 1935) is a Spanish historian and researcher specialised on the History of the Americas.
Biography
Born in 1935 in Seville, she earned a PhD in History of the Americas from the University of Seville in 1972. She worke ...
. "Cartagena de Indias en el siglo XVII: Puerto negrero internacional." In Redescubriendo el Nuevo Mundo: Estudios americanistas en homenaje a Carmen Gómez, edited by María Salud Elvás Iniesta and Sandra Olivero Guidobono, 63–74. Seville: Universidad de Sevilla, 2012.
* –––. "Extranjeros en Cartagena (1593–1630)." ''Jahrbuch für Geschichte von Staat, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft Lateinamerikas'' 16 (1979): 147–84.
* Von Germeten, Nicole. ''Violent Delights, Violent Ends: Sex, Race, & Honor in Colonial Cartagena de Indias''. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2013.
* Wethey, Harold E. "Enrique Marco Dorta, Cartagena de Indias. La ciudad y sus monumentos: Seville, Escuela de Estudios Hispano-americanos, 1951. pp. xxiii+ 322; 170 figs. 200 pesetas." (1952): 322–24.
{{Div col end
External links
{{Sister project links
, wikt=no , commonscat=Cartagena, Colombia , n=no , q=no , s=no , author=no , b=no , v=no
, voy=Cartagena_(Colombia)
{{EB1911 poster, Cartagena (Colombia)
Reference volumes and maps regarding the history of Cartagena. Library of the Royal Geographical Society of South Australia
* {{in lang, es}
Cartagena City Government website
Map of the City and Bay of Cartagena de las Indias
from 1735
{{Geographic location
, Center = ''Cartagena''
, North = Caribbean Sea, Bocacanoa
, Northeast = Bayunca, Clemencia
, East = Villanueva, Bolívar
Villanueva (also called Timiriguaco) is a town and municipality located in the Bolívar Department, northern Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North Ame ...
, San Estanislao {{Infobox settlement
, settlement_type = City & District
, official_name = San Estanislao de Kostka
, native_name =
, nickname = Santaní
, motto =
, image_skyline =
, imagesize ...
, Southeast = Turbaco
Turbaco is a municipality in the Bolívar Department of Colombia. It is about 20 minutes from Cartagena de Indias and is one of Bolívar's most organized municipalities. Turbaco is known for its famous "Fiesta de Toros" (Bulls's feast) in De ...
, Arjona Arjona may refer to:
* Arjona, Bolívar, Colombia
* Arjona, Spain
* Taifa of Arjona, a medieval taifa kingdom in Spain
* ''Arjona'' (plant), genus of plants in the family Schoepfiaceae
People with the surname
* Adria Arjona (born 1992), Puerto R ...
, South = Tierra Bomba Island
Tierra Bomba is a Colombian island off the coast of Cartagena de Indias. The island is within the legal administration of the municipality of Cartagena (City) in Bolívar Department, and covers a surface area of 19.84 km2 (1984.99 hectares) ...
, Portonao.
, Southwest = Caribbean Sea
, West = Caribbean Sea
, Northwest = Caribbean Sea
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