Guática is a town and municipality in the
Risaralda Department
Risaralda () or "Rizaralde", is a landlocked department of Colombia. It is located in the western central region of the country and part of the Paisa Region. Its capital is Pereira.
It was divided from the department of Caldas in 1966. Risar ...
of
Colombia, at approximately 1530
m above sea level.
Founded in 1537 by Don
Ruy de Vanegas, a
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
of
Sebastián de Belalcázar
Sebastián de Belalcázar (; 1479/1480 – 1551) was a Spanish conquistador. De Belalcázar, also written as de Benalcázar, is known as the founder of important early colonial cities in the northwestern part of South America; Quito in 1534 and Ca ...
and by the priest Esteban de Guevara. The town's name derives from
Cacique Guática, supreme ruler of the
Santa Maria Valley. To many the date of its foundation is considered to be March 8, 1627 realized by the disposition of Lesmes de Espinoza y Saravia, witness and representative of the Royal court of
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 ...
.
Around 1860 the
Antioquean conquistadores
Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (, ; meaning 'conquerors') were the explorer-soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires of the 15th and 16th centuries. During the Age of Discovery, conquistadors sailed beyond Europe to the Americas, ...
founded a new town that was later to be known as
San Clemente, Risaralda.
In 1868 the caserío of Guática acquires the character of a corregimiento and becomes part of the District of
Quinchía by the name of Nazareth. In 1892 the district of Nazareth is created having Guática as its capital. In 1905 the name of Nazareth was changed to San Clemente.
On April 22, 1921 Guática was proclaimed a municipio and San Clemente as its main town.
The cultural entities of Guática are The Cultural House of Guatica, The Cultural House of Santa Ana, The Community Center of San Clemente and the
Lions Club
The International Association of Lions Clubs, more commonly known as Lions Clubs International, is an international non-political service organization established originally in 1916 in Chicago, Illinois, by Melvin Jones. It is now headquartere ...
. There are also Folkloric Dance groups, orquestras and music bands, a youth music band, and a great variety of local peasant musical groups.
For tourism and recreation. Guática has a beautiful
botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
, a multisports center, activities at the Guatica River, the Guillermo Medina Mesa Stadium, soccer and basketball courts in most of the villages of the municipio.
Its traditional celebrations include Guática's anniversary, traditional festivities patronizing the Virgen del Carmen, sugarcane festivities in Santa Ana and water festivities in San Clemente.
References
External links
Guatica's official website (Spanish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guatica
Populated places established in 1537
Municipalities of Risaralda Department
1537 establishments in the Spanish Empire