Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva is a city in Colombia.

Villa de Leiva was founded on June 12, 1572 by Hernán Suarez de Villalobos. The city was named after the first president of New Granada, Andrés Díaz Venero de Leyva.

Located about four hours from Bogotá, on the road to Cucuta the restored town Villa de Leiva is on 2140 m height. Its origin goes back to the first time of the Spanish conquest. It was named a national monument in early and so untouched by modern buildings such as office and residential skyscrapers. That is why we are now Villa de Leiva an impression of architecture and ambience of the colonial period. The only single-storey houses with tiled roofs, the church with its massive and low towers and the centuries-old cobblestone streets of the vast Plaza were therefore repeatedly setting for historical movies. Werner Herzog filmed here at the 1987 Parts of the film Cobra Verde with Klaus Kinski.

Some of the houses have been turned into museums, such as the house where Antonio Narino lived who had the Rights of Man ' translated into Spanish and the house in which the General Assembly of the United Provinces of New Granada had taken place. Likewise, the birthplace of the heroes of the independence struggles Antonio Ricuarte is worth a visit. The monastery of the Carmelites has one of the best museums of religious folk art from Colombia. Since the area of Villa de Leiva is rich in fossils, it has set up a museum for it.

It was in colonial times, especially the Spanish viceroys and colonial masters as a resort. Even today, it is both among the locals as well as foreign tourists as a popular tourist destination.

Villa de Leyva is also famous for its fossils. Many residents live from the sale of ammonites and other fossils.

Streets with colonial charm

Typical balconies