Anolaima () is a municipality and township of Colombia in the department of Cundinamarca. It is located in the providence of Tequendama at West from Bogotá in between the cities of Facatativá and La Mesa. Anolaima is known as the Fruit Capital of Colombia, its temperate climate allows an ongoing growth of all kind of fruits that are harvested from the coldest to the warmest temperatures in Colombia.

Brief history

Anolaima was first discovered by a

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

an in 1538 -

Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada y Rivera, also spelled as Ximénez and De Quezada, (;1496 16 February 1579) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in northern South America, territories currently known as Colombia. He explored the territory nam ...

. The "Anolaymas" were the Indian native of the Panche Tribe. They were one of the first tribes found by the Spaniards that descended from the region of

Zipacón Zipacón () is a municipality and town of Colombia in the Western Savanna Province, part of the department of Cundinamarca. The urban centre of Zipacón is situated at an altitude of on the Bogotá savanna, the southern flatlands of the Altipl ...

and Bogotá savanna. Conqueror Gonzalo Jiménez de Quezada, who led the expedition, was defeated in 1538 at the Battle of Tocarema.

Tourism

The celebration of Corpus Christi (Latin for "Body of Christ") and the Peasant's Day is conducted every year around the first holiday weekend of June. Normally, it is held the first Thursday after Trinity Sunday. Its celebration on a Thursday is meant to associate it with institution by Jesus of the

Eucharist The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institu ...

during the Last Supper. In Anolaima this celebration commences usually on Friday ending it the following Monday honoring the peasants and/or farmers of the region with food, prices and trophies. All the farmers collect the best fruits and vegetables from their farms to build huge designs or sculptures shape like animals or people-like figures made of fruits, seeds, vegetables and even life animals. The best sculpture or arch wins the best trophy that is given to the farmers the last day during "El Dia del campesino" (Peasant's day). Every day and all day during the Corpus there are many music bands, dance groups and the best orchestra bands of salsa, merengue and vallenato of Colombia. On Sunday morning, there is a huge "procession" where all schools with their marching bands, military bands and the celebration of the Eucharist is held at the main square. The Corpus in Anolaima was held on June 12, 13, 14 of 2010.

Born in Anolaima

* Julio Ernesto Bernal, former professional cyclist *

Daniel Camargo Barbosa Daniel Camargo Barbosa (22 January 1930 – 13 November 1994) was a Colombian serial killer. He is one of the most prolific serial killers in history and is believed to have raped and murdered at least 72 young girls in Colombia and Ecuador du ...

, serial killer

References

Municipalities of Cundinamarca Department {{Cundinamarca-geo-stub