Tumbaya

Tumbaya is the capital of the department Tumbaya in the Province of Jujuy in Argentina. The village has 884 inhabitants (2001, INDEC ) and lies on the banks of the river Río Grande de Jujuy in the Quebrada de Humahuaca at an altitude of 2247 meters. The distance to the provincial capital San Salvador de Jujuy on the Ruta Nacional 9 is 45 kilometers. After Tilcara is 40 kilometers over the same road.

Townscape and history

The site is characterized by its colonial buildings made ​​of mud brick and narrow streets on the edge of high colored mountains. The historic church Iglesia de la Virgen de la Candelaria from 1796 contains valuable pictures from the painting school of Cuzco and some gold work. 1840 stopped here the troops of the Unitarian halt when they transferred the remains of their general Juan Lavalle to Purmamarca. The church was declared a National Monument. The statue of St. Francisco Solano and the holy water source Agua Bendita El manantial be attributed to the Franciscan saint who has come by Tumbaya.

Climate

The climate is temperate and dry.

Festivals

• Virgen de la Candelaria. (February 2 )
• Nuestra Señora de los Dolores (September 15 ). Both fiestas pull zoom spectators from the region and are accompanied by folk festivals and markets with local produce.
• El Domingo de Ramos. 22 kilometers away, on a hill on the opposite bank of the Río Grande de Jujuy, is the Capilla Punta Corral. Once a year, the Domingo de Ramos, accompany thousands of pilgrims the image of the Virgen de Copacabana umtanzend from the mountains until after Tumbaya, wherein the traversing of the Río Grande de Jujuy at the gates of the town is considered baptism. During Easter week, the image is transferred to Tilcara.