25-10-2017
Cartagena is a port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast Cartagena’s Old Town, city center and its fortifications are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, By the sea is the walled Old Town, founded in the 16th century, with squares, cobblestone streets, colorful colonial buildings and historic center of Cartagena within the old city walls built by the Spanish between the 16th and 18th centuries are the major attractions. With a tropical climate, the city is also a popular beach destination.
Getsemaní is the place to go for street art, less expensive restaurants and vibrant community life. The famous Clock Tower is often used to demarcate the boundary of the walled city, as it’s above the main Old City Gate. The city was founded on the 1st June 1533, by Spanish Commander Pedro de Heredia, who took over an abandoned Amerindian Caribbean village known as Calamarí and started building a settlement of his own. The first Spanish settlers were sailors who had arrived from Cartagena, Spain to start a new life; they established the town as Cartagena de Indias in reference to its Spanish counterpart. At this time there were about 200 inhabitants and a church. In 1552 a fatal fire flattened all the wooden buildings, after which the governor ordered all the replacements to be made from stone. Treasures were discovered in the tombs of the Sinus Amerindian tribe, who buried their dead with all their riches, this led the city to prosper.
The city was invaded many times due to its prosperity and reputation for great treasure. In 1563, the city was invaded by French. At this time all the Spanish riches were transported through Cartagena, earning the city large sums to build mansions and the city attracted people from all over the country who were looking to make their fortune.
At the end of the 16th century the city identified its need for protection and started to build a wall and fortress surround. The Spanish poured huge amounts of money into the creation of the defenses to protect their wealth. At this time the port was the largest in the Americas and held a lot of raw materials. In the 17th Century the King of Spain ordered the city of Cartagena to become a hub for the slave trade, adding further to the city’s riches.
In 1741 the Queen of England ordered Edward Vernon to invade every Spanish port. The Battle of Cartagena was a deadly one for both sides, ending in a Spanish victory. After this intense battle, the city fortified further, improved and rebuilt its defenses to became the most protected port in South America.
Cartagena played a significant role in Colombia gaining its independence, in 1811 it was the first city to declare independence from Spain. This failed attempt resulted in the city being taken back by the Spanish and captured by General Pablo Morillo. During the War of Independence the city was once again the first to declare independence from Spain in 1821. The city recovered well and remained an important trade and shipping port.
