Last updated on .
On a tour to El Peñol and Guatapé with LandVenture Travel, our guide Andrés took us on the scenic route leaving Medellín. We crossed by a reservoir with massive homes built next to it and made an unscheduled stop in the village of El Retiro.
Plaza
The plan was to try some coffee directly from a coffee farm. Unfortunately, the store was closed but we did have a chance to have a quick walk through the plaza, which is surrounded by colonial buildings. The church, Our Lady of the Rosary (Nuestra Señora del Rosario), was closed. City Hall (Casa del Gobierno) is also located on the plaza.
History
El Retiro is actually historically significant not only to Colombia but to the Americas. In 1757, a rich woman from the town named Javiera Londoño freed over 120 slaves. It was the first act of this kind in the Americas, and it happened well over 100 years before the abolition of slavery in Colombia and the United States. A statue in the plaza dedicated to Londoño commemorates this important event.
Londoño was also one of the first settlers of the town. She settled there in 1734 with her husband, Don Ignacio Castañeda, but the town wasn’t officially founded until 1790.
Other than the abolition of slavery, the town is very well known for its cabinetmakers and carpenters.
