Pamplona, Colombia
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Pamplona (pronounced ) is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
and city in
Norte de Santander North Santander (Spanish: Norte de Santander) () is a department of Northeastern Colombia. It is in the north of the country, bordering Venezuela. Its capital is Cúcuta, one of the country's major cities. North Santander is bordered by Vene ...
, Colombia. It is also the fifth most populated municipality in the department.


History


Colonization

The town was founded on 1 November 1549 as Nueva Pamplona del Valle del Espíritu Santo, named after the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre, Crown of Castile, by
Pedro de Ursúa Pedro de Ursúa (1526 – 1561) was a Spanish conquistador from Baztan in Navarre. He is best known for his final trip with Lope de Aguirre in search for El Dorado, where he found death in a plot. He was born in Arizkun, Baztan, to a Beaumon ...
and Ortún Velasco de Velázquez. From there, the expeditions departed which founded the towns of Mérida, San Cristóbal and La Grita, in the Republic of Venezuela, and Ocaña, Salazar de las Palmas, Chinácota, San Faustino,
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 6 ...
and
Cúcuta Cúcuta (), officially San José de Cúcuta, is a Colombian municipality, capital of the department of Norte de Santander and nucleus of the Metropolitan Area of Cúcuta. The city is located in the homonymous valley, at the foot of the Eastern ...
in Colombia, among others. The natives, called by the Spanish, were the first inhabitants of the old Province of Pamplona. They received the name because of the men had a custom of carrying a or (gourd) hanging from the waist, with '' chicha'' or maize wine as the Spaniards called it. Asked for the name of what they were carrying, the natives responded that it was a . When the area was occupied by Pedro de Ursúa and Ortún Velasco in 1549, they reduced the primitive settlers to the regime of . Around 100 groups or were distributed among 53 ' throughout the territory, according to researcher Jaramillo Uribe. The town's location allowed it to become an important commercial route between the Viceroyalty of New Granada and the Captaincy of
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
; with highly fertile regions and
auriferous The mineral pyrite (), or iron pyrite, also known as fool's gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula Fe S2 (iron (II) disulfide). Pyrite is the most abundant sulfide mineral. Pyrite's metallic luster and pale brass-yellow hue giv ...
deposits in the mountains, it became one of the richest territories of the colony, rivaled only by the province of Socorro, which contributed to it being considered a political and administrative axis of the Spanish crown from the time of the conquest.


Independence

Pamplona earned the nickname of "Patriotic City" as described by Simón Bolivar for having pioneered the New Granadan revolution by proclaiming its independence on 4 July 1810, led by Doña (freedom that was finally declared 31 July of the same year with a provisional assembly), and later, between 1819 and 1821, for having contributed notably with human and economic resources for the liberation of Colombia and Venezuela. Pamplona was as important as Bogotá. In 1910, with the creation of the Department of Norte de Santander, it was included within its political jurisdiction, becoming part of the province of Pamplona, which is in turn made up of the municipalities of Cácota de Velasco, Cucutilla,
Chitagá Chitagá () is a Colombian municipality and town located in the department of North Santander North Santander (Spanish: Norte de Santander) () is a department of Northeastern Colombia. It is in the north of the country, bordering Venezuela. ...
, Labateca, Mutiscua, Pamplonita, Toledo and Silos. Culturally there are a number of national and international activities making the city a tourist epicenter, including Holy Week, along with the celebrations held in Mompox and
Popayán Popayán () is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between the Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range. It has a population of 318,059 people, an area of 483 km2, is locate ...
, which are the most important in the country. The city of Pamplona is in the southwest of the department, along with the municipalities of Pamplonita, Chitagá, Silos, Cácota and Mutiscua. Its historic center stands out in the urban area (declared as a Monument of National Interest according to Decree 264 of 1963), which has long been the main educational center of eastern Colombia and
Táchira Táchira State ( es, Estado Táchira, ) is one of the 24 states of Venezuela. The state capital is San Cristóbal. Táchira State covers a total surface area of and as of the 2011 census, had a population of 1,168,908. At the end of the 19t ...
and Mérida in Venezuela. The solemnity of religious celebrations is also notable – events that attract a large number of people from other parts of the country and Táchira, Venezuela.


Climate

On average, temperature highs range from to and lows range from to .


Economy

One of the main agricultural products of Pamplona is the potato, followed by the production of other vegetables and fruits such as strawberries, garlic, carrots, wheat, , beans and corn. During 2014, Pamplona became the municipality that produced the most peas in the department. The main sources of livestock production in the municipality are poultry, cattle and swine. The province of Pamplona is one of the largest food production areas in the department, it also produces dairy products, especially cheese, the main cheeses marketed in the area are Cuajada, in addition to Queso Campesino () and Queso de Hoja (). Eighty-five percent of the city's establishments are engaged in commerce. Pamplona is a student city, hosting the
University of Pamplona The University of Pamplona ( es, Universidad de Pamplona), is a public, departmental, coeducational research university based primarily in the city of Pamplona, Norte de Santander, Colombia. The university also has two satellite campuses in th ...
. That and tourism are probably the main present economic activities, where thousands of students are lodged and fed and are thus the main consumers in nightclubs and cafés.


Heritage sites


Churches

According to historian Silvano Pabón Villamizar, the construction of religious buildings in Pamplona began at the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century. The was built in 1584 by Magdalena Velazco, the daughter of the founder of Pamplona. The cathedral contains one of the most important musical instruments of Eastern Colombia, a pipe organ created by Celestino Balbiani from Milan, Italy, in addition to a Baroque-style altarpiece. In 1990, architect Jaime Salcedo was awarded the Carlos Arbelaéz Camacho National Restoration Prize for the restoration of the Caterdal at the 12th Biennial of Architecture in Colombia. One of the most visited places in Pamplona during Holy Week is the Humilladero Sanctuary. It is an example of colonial architecture, featuring a preserved wood carving of Jesus Christ along with
Gestas The impenitent thief is a man described in the New Testament account of the Crucifixion of Jesus. In the Gospel narrative, two criminal bandits are crucified alongside Jesus. In the first two Gospels (Matthew and Mark), they both join the crowd ...
and Dismas. The sanctuary has existed since the foundation of Pamplona.


Museums

Pamplona houses several museums of the department such as the Águeda Gallardo de Villamizar House, built around 1644 after an earthquake. In the house lived , one of the women who played a role in the independence of Colombia. According to the historians Luis Eduardo Paez Courvel and Luis Febres Cordero, the house was the site for gatherings (Spanish: ) on the process of independence for the country.


International relations


Twin towns – sister cities

*
Pamplona Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region. Lying at near above ...
(Navarre), Spain


References


External links


Official Website of the Pamplona Mayor's Office
(in Spanish)
Ramirez Villamizar Modern Art Museum Website
(in Spanish) {{Authority control Municipalities of the Norte de Santander Department Populated places established in 1549 1549 establishments in the Spanish Empire