Cartago, Costa Rica
Cartago Map of Costa Rica
Cartago is a city in the Central American country Costa Rica and capital of the province, about 22 km east of the capital San José.
It is located at an altitude of about 1432 m above sea level on the Cartago River, at the foot of the Irazu volcano. The population amounted in 2003 to 141 524 inhabitants.
History
The Spanish conquistador Juan Vázquez de Coronado founded the city of Cartago in 1563 as the first Spanish settlement in what is now Costa Rica. From its foundation until the independence of Costa Rica in 1821 it was the seat of the Spanish Governor. The capital subsequently moved several times between Cartago, San José and Alajuela, but was moved in 1823 by the first elected head of state, Juan Mora Fernández final to the then small village of San Jose.
In 1723 the city was destroyed by an eruption of Irazu. Larger earthquakes in 1822, 1841 and 1910 led to serious damage. Another eruption of the volcano in 1963 added the city also to serious damage. In 1907 the city became the seat of the newly established Central American Court of Justice was, this was, however, postponed due to the earthquake of 1910, beginning of 1911 to San Jose.
Every year on August 2, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flock to the most important church in the country, the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles. In the church is a statue of the Black Madonna (La Negrita ) is preserved, the healing properties are attributed.
In 1971 the technical university " Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica " was opened in Cartago, which today is one of the most prestigious institutions in Central America.
List of tourist attractions in the city center
- Las Ruinas de la Parroquia de Santiago Apóstol
In the park of the town are the ruins of the church of Santiago Apóstol the one of the national cultural heritage of Costa Rica. From the local population, the " Ticos ", this is called " Las Ruinas ". Your construction dates back to 1575. The earthquakes of 1630 and 1656 destroyed the previous building was why in 1656 started building the new church, which was completed in 1662 and consecrated. To rebuild this church included an oratory and a blessing chapel. More earthquakes in 1718 and 1756 caused severe damage to the structure, but could be repaired. On September 2, 1841 the earth shook again in Cartago. In this known as San Antolin quake, the church was destroyed to the extent that they had to make way for a new building. 1870, the new building in the Romanesque style was begun under the direction of Luis Llach and the German -born architect Francisco Kurtz. Shortly after the start of construction, the work was interrupted and not resumed until 30 years later 1903-1904. The final blow for the church brought the Santa Monica Earthquake 1910. Thereafter, it was decided to not rebuild the church and, a little further east to build a new church, the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles. The ruins of the church of Santiago de Compostela was declared a cultural monument of Costa Rica on August 25, 1982 by decree No. 13799 -C.
- Basilica of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles
- " La Negrita ", the black Madonna of Costa Rica. She is from September to August 2 in the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles and then for a month in the Cathedral of Costa Rica.
- Cathedral of Our Lady of El Carmen Church of the Diocese of Cartago built in Art Deco style.
- Traditional home of Costa Rican President Jesús Jiménez Zamora (1823-1897), is built in traditional style and in full.
- Colegio San Luis Gonzaga, the oldest university in Costa Rica in the neoclassical style.
- City Museum - Museo Municipal de Cartago, in the former City Prison
List of attractions in the province of Cartago
- Irazu Volcano National Park, the highest volcano in Costa Rica ( 3432 m asl )
- Turrialba Volcano National Park
- National Park Tapantí, primary rainforest
- Valle Orosi, the famous for coffee farming valley of the Rio Orosi
- Guayabo National Monument, most important Pre-Columbian archaeological site in Costa Rica
- Lancaster Garden, orchid collection
- Monastery ruins Ujarrás, a former convent in the Orosi Valley
- Church Orosi, was built in 1735 in colonial style and is still completely intact. A small museum is housed in the annexe.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Joaquín de Oreamuno y Muñoz de la Trinidad (1755-1827), Head of State of Costa Rica
- José Pedro de Alvarado y Baeza (1767-1839), priest and president of Costa Rica
- José Santos Lombardo y Alvarado (1775-1829), President of Costa Rica
- José Rafael de Gallegos y Alvarado (1784-1850), Head of State of Costa Rica
- Francisco Gómez de Altamirano y de Elizondo (1796-1838), Jefe Supremo of the province of El Salvador in the Central American Confederation
- Braulio Carrillo Colina Evaristo (1800-1845), Head of State of Costa Rica
- Joaquín Guzmán Eufrasio (1801-1875), President of El Salvador
- Francisco María Oreamuno Bonilla (1801-1856), President of Costa Rica
- Evaristo Carazo Aranda (1822-1889), politician
- Jesús Jiménez Zamora (1823-1897), President of Costa Rica
- Aniceto Esquivel Sáenz (1824-1898), President of Costa Rica
- Francisco Aguilar Barquero (1857-1924), President of Costa Rica
- Ricardo Jiménez Oreamuno (1859-1945), President of Costa Rica
- Alberto Oreamuno Flores (1905-1980), professor of medicine and politician
- Rodrigo Carazo Odio (1926-2009), politician
- Carlos Johnson ( born 1984 ), football player
- David Jiménez (* 1992), Boxer