A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to fly to Bogotá to have some working meetings and also to participate in a round table organized by the Colombia Start Up & Investors Summit. A parallel initiative to the one that is being mounted in Spain, the Spain Start Up & Investor Summit and of which I have already spoken in this Blog on occasion.
In this case, organized by Pablo Santos and its companyby Gonzalo Martin Villa and his team of Wayra Colombia -which, in addition to in Colombiaare doing really extraordinary work in a lot of countries - and by the Instituto de Empresa of Madrid, together with the collaboration of a lot of Colombian institutions, with the support also of the Colombian Federal Government, which was represented on the last day by among others Mr. Diego Molano Vega, Minister of ICT and by Mr. Sergio Díaz-Granados, Minister of CommerceWe had the opportunity to chat with them afterwards.
I shared the presentation time with Gonzalo Martin Villa, Doug Richard, Javier Andres y Dan Gertsacov. All of them are professionals with great experience and above all, with many stories to tell. Gonzalo is responsible for Wayra at an international level. On his own card he introduces himself as... Wayra Man. Doug is a very well known Anglo-Saxon investor and advisor for entrepreneurs, born in Los Angeles and living in London for years -incidentally married to a Spanish woman- and one of the first participants as an investor in the very famous TV program produced by the BBC in the UK, Dragons Dendedicated to promoting entrepreneurs. Dan Gertsacov is one of the founders of Google TV and currently Founder of Lenddo.com a large private-to-private lending platform and Javier Andres is the founder and CEO of Ticketea.com.
It was the professional part of the trip.
Not in every trip you can add a "personal" or "cultural" part. In this case I was able to do it and thank goodness I was able to do it! If I hadn't I would have missed out on visiting some really attractive and beautiful places.
As the return flight was on Sunday, we took advantage of Saturday to visit the city of Bogota, a beautiful city.
The first thing we did was to go on a visit to the Montserrate Hillthe symbol par excellence of Bogotá and where is the Basilica dedicated to the Lord of Montserrate. The city of Bogotá is at an altitude of 2,625 meters above sea level. When you climb this hill you reach 3,152 meters above sea level. Even when you climb a few stairs you realize how hard it is on the lungs.
The ascent to the Cerro can be done either by funicular or by cable car. We did it by cable car. The views from the top of the city are really spectacular. It is worth the view.
We also had the opportunity to hear Mass in the Basilica and receive the Blessing for the pilgrims. It is a special place in Bogotá and for Bogotá.
The image of Christ fallen on the ground, shortly before being crucified, is shocking. It was made in the seventeenth century by a Colombian sculptor named Pedro de Lugo Albarracín. The citizens of Bogotá for centuries pilgrims have been going up to the Cerro to visit him. Still today there are those who instead of going up by the mechanical means that we use, do it walking or running. The record speed of ascent seems to be 25 minutes from where the cable car starts. And the cable car, which goes by the way at a great speed, takes about 5 or 7 minutes to go up!
When we received the Blessing for the Pilgrims, there were some by our side who, by their clothing and the state they were in, were seen to have run up. Impressive.
From there we went to visit the Gold Museum. Another of the great wonders of Bogota. More than 30,000 pieces and the most important collection of pre-Hispanic jewelry on the planet. When you start to walk through the rooms and see the richness of the different pieces, as well as the quantity of all of them, you can perfectly imagine those Spanish soldiers who came to America in search of fortune and their desire to discover and get part of all that gold that the local inhabitants had been discovering and working. The pieces are some of them very beautiful and very striking.
We left the Gold Museum and found ourselves in front of a square with great contrasts. In front of it three clearly ancient churches and on the sides some tall and modern buildings that attracted my attention and certainly aroused my curiosity. What was that square?
Today it is called the Santander Parkin honor and memory of Francisco de Paula Santanderone of the major protagonists in the independence of Colombia. General Santander was a fundamental and necessary piece for Bolívar in his victory in the Battle of Boyacá in 1,819.
The Plaza was formerly called Plaza de las Hierbas, because that is where the market was concentrated. There are voices that say that it is in this square around which was organized the foundation of the city of Santa Fe de Bogotá. In its surroundings settled some of the Spanish conquistadors and it was there where, among others, Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada set up his residence. Today there are still the San Francisco Churchthe Vera Cruz Church and the Church of the Third. The view is really beautiful.
We took advantage of the fact that it was Saturday afternoon and the San Francisco Church was open for a visit. It was a Church founded in 1,557 and given to the Franciscan Friars by the Archbishop Juan de los Barrioswho was also a Franciscan.
A character, Fray Juan de los Barrios, of great strength and integrity.
He was appointed bishop in 1547 at the request of the Emperor Charles I of Spain by Paul III. This pope, among other things, was the one who approved the Society of Jesuscreated the Holy Office later known as the Inquisition and summoned and held the Council of Trent.
Fray Juan de los Barros arrived in Santa Marta in 1,553 and from there he traveled to what was then the capital of the New Kingdom of Grenada. He was the first bishop to be installed in Santa Fe de Bogotá. He came from Spain with clear instructions from the Emperor to enforce the New Laws and that made him confront the civil authorities in a very hard way. The New Laws He was a member of a group of Indians who sought to protect the Indians from the tyranny that many encomenderos used against them. He donated his house to build a hospital for the poor and needy. He was a tireless man in achieving his goals. He ordered the construction of the first Cathedral that the city would have, invested all the money he could in its construction and after 12 years of work, with all the Cathedral finished, it collapsed the day before its inauguration. His reaction was to go himself to the quarry on the outskirts of the city and carry on his shoulders what would be the first stone of today's Cathedral. Primada Cathedral of Bogota. He was also the first to ordain a mestizo priest, something that in his time attracted significant internal criticism from his own compatriots and peers.
But let us return to the Church of San Francisco.
My amazement at the quality of their interiors was total. What a marvel!
In this photo you can see a lateral detail of the High Altar, with the Altarpiece designed by Ignacio García de Ascucha in 1623 and finished in 1633 by Lorenzo Hernández de la Cámara. Already at the time, when it was made, the cost of the work was very expensive and so it was recorded in the archives. And we are fortunate to be able to enjoy it almost 400 years later. It is also important to note the quality and workmanship of the coffered ceilings of the church. Something almost impossible to find nowadays in the good condition they are in. They remind us of the magnificent Mozarabic works in Spain.
Next to the Main Altar, in an adjacent nave, is the Chapel dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, which was finished in 1610. Some of its decorative elements are later, but still from the 18th century. Really beautiful.
Adjacent to the Church of San Francisco and in the past part of the church itself is the Vera Cruz Church. A small church that was closed and we could not visit. In it are buried some of the most important fighters for the independence of Colombia. It was the Brotherhood of the Veracruz who was in charge of assisting in the final moments to those who were going to be executed.
And next to this second church, the Church of the Third Order that on its back wall has a huge tombstone that I could not resist photographing and that I reproduce here.
All this special architectural ensemble, flanked on the sides by the Avianca Building when it was completed in 1969, it was the tallest building in all of South America and the headquarters of the Banco de la República.
Next to the Avianca Building there is, by the way, a small handicraft market with a multitude of stalls and next to this small and coquettish market, the Centro Comercial La Casona del Museowhich I highly recommend. A set of stores with handcrafted pieces with exquisite taste.
It was starting to get dark and we still wanted to get to know the Neighborhood of La Candelaria. The real cradle from which it was born and developed. Santa Fe de Bogotá. We were only a few meters away, but we already had to go by car and hurry.
The surprise was, once again, capital.
We were able to park the car next to what is called the Quevedo Stream -in memory of the Dominican Father Quevedo who installed a fountain there- and stroll through the area to get to know it directly.
It is in this square where it is said that in his day the Zipa Muisca observed the Sabana de Bogotá and it is also here where Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada himself - of whom I was speaking when talking about Parque Santander or before that Plaza de las Hierbas - founded the city.
At the very entrance of the Plaza is the small and very beautiful Chapel of San Miguel del Príncipereconstructed in 1969 on the site where the first Mass was celebrated in Santa Fe de Bogotá.
All the neighborhood of La Candelaria It's an explosion of life, of young people and people going to and fro.
Next to the Church of San Miguel del Príncipe, in the same Plazuela, there is the custom that whoever wants to, can go and tell their stories. The "storytellers"as they are called in Bogotá.
The success of the ones we saw when we were there was important! Here are the images...
While they tell their stories, the people are drinking the traditional Colombian chicha and enjoy the outdoor temperature.
All the surrounding houses have been converted into cafes, small theaters and small restaurants to enjoy and forget for a moment that we are in one of the largest cities in the world.
My experience in Bogotá has been short, but it has been very intense.
I was left without seeing the Cathedral and without being able to stroll more quietly through the center.
It is worth coming back.
I hope to be able to do it soon and also have the opportunity to visit the rest of the country. At least a part of it!!!!.