León Viejo
Encyclopedia
León Viejo, is the place where the city of León
was originally founded in what is now the town of Puerto Momotombo in the Municipality of La Paz Centro of the Department of León, Nicaragua
. This city, after a popular consultation, was abandoned to be settled in another location. For this reason it is called "León Viejo" (Old León).
It was founded on June 15, 1524 by the Spanish conqueror, Francisco Hernández de Córdoba
, who was decapitated in its Plaza Mayor (Major Plaza) in 1526 by Pedrarias Dávila
, his Lieutenant.
This town, in other time inhabited for the first colonists after the discovery, in the beginning had in its suburbs a few 15.000 natural neighbors of the country. It is located on the banks of the Lago de Managua (Lake Managua
or Lake Xolotlán), in front of the volcano Momotombo
.
The area where León settled is very warm and had a lot of telluric activity caused by the continuous activity of the volcano Momotombo, that signified launch by the air of sand
, ash
and lava
in igneous state, besides violent and persistent tremblings that culminated in the earthquakes of 1594 and 1610, this last one of greater intensity.
The city was not destroyed as commonly is believed. After the violent earthquake of 1610 that damaged it and due to the seismic characteristics of the place, its settlers, as a result of a popular consultation, decided to move the city to the settlement that today occupies, and the old city was gradually buried by the continuous expulsions of ash and volcanic stone and by lake sediments.
The Ruins of León Viejo were discovered in 1967 and one year later the excavations looking for historic vestiges were started. As a result of the excavations, it’s known that the city had a similar sketch to almost all cities of Latin America in that time, in form of an exact square and the plaza is located in its center. The center of León Viejo occupies an approximate area of 800 meters times 500 meters, and in it straighten up, around its Plaza Mayor and on the border of its streets, 16 ruins rehabilitated until now.
The city had three monasteries: "La Merced", "San Pedro" and "San Francisco", they were placed in the main streets of the city and open approximately until 1560. La Merced has been found already in the south extreme of the ruins. Also San Pedro has been identified.
Unfortunately, the ruins have not escaped to natural disasters that have continued damaging it. In May, 1982 the Tropical Storm "Alleta" wasted the walls of the city, in October, 1988 the "Hurricane Joan" occasioned new damages to the ruins, and the more serious, in October, 1998 the "Hurricane Mitch
" caused estimated damages in a 40%, by affecting several houses, La Merced convent and La Fortaleza.
León Viejo is the only one colonial city from the century XVI settled in America that never suffered city-planning alterations through the history, being this one the main argument to request to the UNESCO that declared it as World Heritage Site
, and it was so by 2000.
Actually, León Viejo is administered by the Instituto Nicaragüense de Cultura (Nicaraguan Institute of Culture) and there are tourist guides.
León, Nicaragua
León is a department in northwestern Nicaragua . It is also the second largest city in Nicaragua, after Managua. It was founded by the Spaniards as Santiago de los Caballeros de León and rivals Granada, Nicaragua, in the number of historic Spanish colonial homes and churches...
was originally founded in what is now the town of Puerto Momotombo in the Municipality of La Paz Centro of the Department of León, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. This city, after a popular consultation, was abandoned to be settled in another location. For this reason it is called "León Viejo" (Old León).
It was founded on June 15, 1524 by the Spanish conqueror, Francisco Hernández de Córdoba
Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (founder of Nicaragua)
Francisco Hernández de Córdoba is usually reputed as the founder of Nicaragua, and in fact he founded two important Nicaraguan cities, Granada and León. The currency of Nicaragua is named the córdoba in his memory....
, who was decapitated in its Plaza Mayor (Major Plaza) in 1526 by Pedrarias Dávila
Pedrarias Dávila
Pedrarias Dávila y Ortiz de Cota , was a Spanish colonial administrator...
, his Lieutenant.
This town, in other time inhabited for the first colonists after the discovery, in the beginning had in its suburbs a few 15.000 natural neighbors of the country. It is located on the banks of the Lago de Managua (Lake Managua
Lake Managua
Lake Managua is a lake in Nicaragua. The Spanish name is Lago de Managua or Lago Xolotlán. At 1,042 km², it is approximately long and wide. Similarly to the name of Lake Nicaragua, its name was coined by the Spanish conquerors from "Mangue" and agua...
or Lake Xolotlán), in front of the volcano Momotombo
Momotombo
Momotombo is a stratovolcano in Nicaragua, not far from the city of León. It stands on the shores of Lago de Managua. An eruption of the volcano in 1610 forced inhabitants of the Spanish city of León to relocate about 30 miles west...
.
The area where León settled is very warm and had a lot of telluric activity caused by the continuous activity of the volcano Momotombo, that signified launch by the air of sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
, ash
Volcanic ash
Volcanic ash consists of small tephra, which are bits of pulverized rock and glass created by volcanic eruptions, less than in diameter. There are three mechanisms of volcanic ash formation: gas release under decompression causing magmatic eruptions; thermal contraction from chilling on contact...
and lava
Lava
Lava refers both to molten rock expelled by a volcano during an eruption and the resulting rock after solidification and cooling. This molten rock is formed in the interior of some planets, including Earth, and some of their satellites. When first erupted from a volcanic vent, lava is a liquid at...
in igneous state, besides violent and persistent tremblings that culminated in the earthquakes of 1594 and 1610, this last one of greater intensity.
The city was not destroyed as commonly is believed. After the violent earthquake of 1610 that damaged it and due to the seismic characteristics of the place, its settlers, as a result of a popular consultation, decided to move the city to the settlement that today occupies, and the old city was gradually buried by the continuous expulsions of ash and volcanic stone and by lake sediments.
The Ruins of León Viejo were discovered in 1967 and one year later the excavations looking for historic vestiges were started. As a result of the excavations, it’s known that the city had a similar sketch to almost all cities of Latin America in that time, in form of an exact square and the plaza is located in its center. The center of León Viejo occupies an approximate area of 800 meters times 500 meters, and in it straighten up, around its Plaza Mayor and on the border of its streets, 16 ruins rehabilitated until now.
The city had three monasteries: "La Merced", "San Pedro" and "San Francisco", they were placed in the main streets of the city and open approximately until 1560. La Merced has been found already in the south extreme of the ruins. Also San Pedro has been identified.
Unfortunately, the ruins have not escaped to natural disasters that have continued damaging it. In May, 1982 the Tropical Storm "Alleta" wasted the walls of the city, in October, 1988 the "Hurricane Joan" occasioned new damages to the ruins, and the more serious, in October, 1998 the "Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch
Hurricane Mitch was the most powerful hurricane and the most destructive of the 1998 Atlantic hurricane season, with maximum sustained winds of 180 mph . The storm was the thirteenth tropical storm, ninth hurricane, and third major hurricane of the season. Along with Hurricane Georges, Mitch...
" caused estimated damages in a 40%, by affecting several houses, La Merced convent and La Fortaleza.
León Viejo is the only one colonial city from the century XVI settled in America that never suffered city-planning alterations through the history, being this one the main argument to request to the UNESCO that declared it as World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, and it was so by 2000.
Actually, León Viejo is administered by the Instituto Nicaragüense de Cultura (Nicaraguan Institute of Culture) and there are tourist guides.