Villeta is a municipality and town in Cundinamarca (

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 ...

), located in

Gualivá Province Gualivá Province ( es, Provincia de Gualivá) is one of the 15 provinces in the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. Gualivá borders the Lower Magdalena Province to the west, to the north the Rionegro Province, to the east and southeast the Weste ...

, approximately northwest of Bogota, considered the capital of the province. Its name means "Little Village". The municipality borders Quebradanegra and

Nimaima Nimaima () is a tourist town in 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. T ...

in the north, Nocaima and

Sasaima Sasaima () is a municipality and town of Colombia in the department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative di ...

in the east,

Albán San José de Albán is a town and municipality in the Nariño Department, Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean ...

and Vianí in the south and

Guaduas Guaduas () is a town in Colombia, in the Lower Magdalena Province department of Cundinamarca, about 117 km from Bogotá. It is an agricultural and tourist center of some importance with a population of about 41,000. Its name refers to a ...

in the west. It is situated at an altitude of in the

Eastern Ranges The Eastern Ranges is an Australian rules football team in the NAB League, the Victorian statewide under-18s competition. The club is a founding member of the competition (1992) and has produced several players for the Australian Football Leagu ...

of the Colombian

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

Official website Villeta
/ref>

History

The region of Villeta before the

Spanish conquest 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 predece ...

was inhabited by the Panche. Modern Villeta was founded as Villa de San Miguel on September 29, 1551 by Alonso de Olalla and Hernando de Alcocer.History Villeta
/ref> Main economic activities in Villeta are related with sugar cane derivatives and as an important tourist center for people from Bogotá due to its warm climate, including ecologic trails, cascades and hotels.

Geology

The

Villeta Group The Villeta Group ( es, Grupo Villeta) is a geological group of the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, to the west of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense. The group, a sequence of shales, limestones and sandstones, is subdivided into various formati ...

comprising the Conejo, La Frontera,

Simijaca Simijaca () is a town and municipality in the Ubaté Province, part of the Cundinamarca Department, Colombia. The town centre is located at an altitude of on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at from the capital Bogotá. Simijaca borders the Boyacá D ...

, Hiló, Capotes,

Socotá Socotá is a town and municipality in the Valderrama Province, part of the Colombian department of Boyacá. The municipality is situated in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The urban centre is at an altitude of at a distance of from t ...

, El Peñón and

Trincheras Formation The Trincheras Formation ( es, Formación Trincheras, Kitr) is a geological formation of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The formation consisting of a lower unit of calcareous shales and an upper sequence of sh ...

s is named after Villeta.Acosta & Ulloa, 2001, p.39

Gallery

File:Antigua casa cural.jpg, Old house File:Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel de Villeta, Colombia.jpg, Church interior File:Monumento a la familia campesina.jpg, Monument to the farmers File:Relieve Villetano.jpg, Landscape of Villeta

References

Bibliography

* * {{Municipalities cundinamarca department Municipalities of Cundinamarca Department Populated places established in 1551 1551 establishments in the Spanish Empire