Grecia
Encyclopedia
Grecia translated means Greece
, the country.
Grecia is the capital city of the canton of Grecia
in the province of Alajuela
in Costa Rica
. It is also the name of the distrito (district) that includes the city. The district of Grecia covers an area of 6.86 km², and has a population of 15,457.
The city lies at an elevation of 999 meters above sea level in the foothills of the Cordillera Central on the eastern edge of the Central Valley
(Valle Central). The city, which was once named "the cleanest city in Latin America," is 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital city of Alajuela, 27 kilometers from Juan Santamaria International Airport
, and 45 kilometers from the national capital city of San Jose
.
Grecia is noted for its unique church, Iglesia de la Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, that is made entirely of pre-fabricated steel plates painted red. There are several urban legends regarding this church, the most common of them are. #1 the church was donated by some foreign country, and sent to Greece as a gift, but was wrongly shipped to Grecia, Costa Rica, and #2 the final destiny of this church was the city of Punta Arenas, Chile but was disembarked, by mistake, in the port of Puntarenas, Costa Rica and later sent to the city of Grecia, in the province of Alajuela, where it was assembled.
However, history records clearly show that the instruction, shipment and construction of the temple were a coordinated effort of Grecia”s population, the Catholic Church, the Costa Rican government and a gentleman called Alejo E. Jimenez Bonnefil (1858-1922), who was a Costa Rican coffee producer and exporter, who was in charge of commanding and importing the church from the manufacturer “Ateliers de la Societe de Couvillet”, Belgium, in the late 19th Century.
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, the country.
Grecia Canton
Grecia is the name of the third canton in the province of Alajuela in Costa Rica. The canton covers an area of , and has a population of 69,703. The capital city of the canton is also called Grecia....
in the province of Alajuela
Alajuela Province
Alajuela is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the north-central part of the country, bordering Nicaragua to the north, and clockwise the provinces Heredia, San José, Puntarenas and Guanacaste...
in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. It is also the name of the distrito (district) that includes the city. The district of Grecia covers an area of 6.86 km², and has a population of 15,457.
The city lies at an elevation of 999 meters above sea level in the foothills of the Cordillera Central on the eastern edge of the Central Valley
Costa Rican Central Valley
The Central Valley is a plateau and a geographic region of central Costa Rica. The land in the valley is a relative plain, despite being surrounded by several mountains and volcanos, the latter part of the Central Range. The region houses almost three quarters of Costa Ricans, and includes the...
(Valle Central). The city, which was once named "the cleanest city in Latin America," is 20 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital city of Alajuela, 27 kilometers from Juan Santamaria International Airport
Juan Santamaría International Airport
Juan Santamaría International Airport is located in Alajuela Province, about from downtown San José, Costa Rica. It is a hub airport for TACA/Lacsa, and focus city airport for Copa Airlines. It is named after Costa Rica's national hero Juan Santamaría, a courageous drummer boy who died in 1856...
, and 45 kilometers from the national capital city of San Jose
San José, Costa Rica
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
.
Grecia is noted for its unique church, Iglesia de la Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, that is made entirely of pre-fabricated steel plates painted red. There are several urban legends regarding this church, the most common of them are. #1 the church was donated by some foreign country, and sent to Greece as a gift, but was wrongly shipped to Grecia, Costa Rica, and #2 the final destiny of this church was the city of Punta Arenas, Chile but was disembarked, by mistake, in the port of Puntarenas, Costa Rica and later sent to the city of Grecia, in the province of Alajuela, where it was assembled.
However, history records clearly show that the instruction, shipment and construction of the temple were a coordinated effort of Grecia”s population, the Catholic Church, the Costa Rican government and a gentleman called Alejo E. Jimenez Bonnefil (1858-1922), who was a Costa Rican coffee producer and exporter, who was in charge of commanding and importing the church from the manufacturer “Ateliers de la Societe de Couvillet”, Belgium, in the late 19th Century.