Santa Fe de Antioquia

Santa Fe de Antioquia
Santa Fe de Antioquia
Municipality and town
	Flag Seal
	Location of the municipality and town of Santa Fe de Antioquia in the Antioquia Department of Colombia
	Coordinates: 6°33′N 75°49′W / 6.550°N 75.817°W
Country	Colombia
Department	Antioquia Department
Area
• Total	493 km2 (190 sq mi)
Population (2002)
• Total	22,764
Time zone	UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time)

Santa Fe de Antioquia is a municipality in the Antioquia Department of Colombia. The city is located about 50 miles north of Medellin, the department capital. It has a population of about 23,000 residents.

History[change | change source]

It was founded by the name Villa de Santafé in 1541 by Jorge Robledo on the western bank of the Cauca River. It received the coat of arms and the title of City of Antioquia from King Philip II of Spain in 1545. It was promoted to the status of parish in 1547 by the bishop of Popayán. It changed its name in 1584 when it became the capital of Antioquia. It was a mining town from its beginnings and the gold mining operation has been the base of its economy.

Its cathedral was constructed in 1799 and elevated to Diocese of Antioquia in 1804 by Pope Pius VII. In 1813 Antioquia was declared a sovereign and independent state with Santa Fe as its capital, a status it maintained until 1826, when Medellín was chosen as the new departmental seat. Due to the state of conservation of its colonial architecture, it was declared a national monument in 1960.

Geography[change | change source]

The municipal area has a mountainous territory within the Central Cordillera of the Andes and watered by the rivers Cauca and Tonusco. Its area is 493 km².

Economy[change | change source]

The economy of Santa Fe de Antioquia is based on agriculture. The main products made are coffee, maize and beans.

Tourism[change | change source]

Tourism was, and continues to be one of the more important economic enterprises for the municipality. The opening of the Tunnel of the West (which shortens the time and the distance between the locality and Medellín) in 2006 has allowed hundreds of tourists to come each weekend, stimulating the vocation of the vicinity as a summer vacation site.

Sites of Interest[change | change source]

All of the town is a historical site; the architecture that has survived through the years gives Santa Fe de Antioquia the aspect of a city "suspended" in the colonial era, which is the reason the city was declared a National monument.