León Viejo

León Viejo is a ruined city in Nicaragua, is since 2000 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The ruins of León Viejo gives an authentic impression of an early Spanish colonial settlement in Central America. The old León ( Nicaragua) was founded in 1524 by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba in 1531 and bishop's seat. The Bishop Fray Antonio de Valdivieso, who distinguished himself by his humanitarian efforts, was assassinated in 1551 at the behest of Governor Pedro Arias Dávila. The crime was the belief in the population mature that the city one day for their sins would have to pay. These fears came true 60 years later. An earthquake and the eruption of the Momotombo laid in 1609 the city to rubble. The disaster proved to be archaeological windfall, because the physical structure of the city has been preserved in this way. 1968 began the excavations. It turned out that the settlement was based on a checkerboard pattern. So far, the foundation walls of the cathedral and governor's palace and a monastery were exposed. The ruins of the old León ( Nicaragua) are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.