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Plaza de Bolívar is the main plaza in the Colombian city of Tunja. This wide-open plaza is surrounded by colonial buildings and features a monument to Simón Bolívar in the center.
Cathedral
The most important building on Plaza de Bolívar is the Cathedral Basilica of St. James the Apostle (Catedral Basílica de Santiago Apóstol). It’s the oldest cathedral in Colombia, with construction starting in 1567.
Boyacá Government Building
The main government building for the department of Boyacá sits on the north side of the plaza. The corner of the building contains a tower which is a symbol of the city.
Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón
Also on the plaza, to the left of the cathedral, is Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón. This colonial mansion belonged to the founder of Tunja, Gonzalo Suárez Rendón, who’s entombed in the cathedral. The mansion was built between 1540 and 1570 and is the last remaining house of a city founder in all of Latin America.
The entrance to the house is connected to the city’s tourism office. Guided tours lasting about 30 minutes are available and admission is free (as of October 2023). The tour started with a history of the house and stories of Colombian independence. We were able to take a look at the patio of the L-shaped house.
From there, we went upstairs where the guide showed us an original fresco above the door. The house was whitewashed and the fresco of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá was revealed during maintenance. It’s still in the process of being recovered.
As we entered the door and walking into the main hall, we were in awe of the incredible paintings on the ceiling featuring several different animals.
A side room featured period furniture and armor.
We were then taken to another room with more impressive paintings on the ceiling.
The tour finished with a visit to Gonzalo Suárez Rendón’s bedroom, a small prayer room, and dining room containing original items brought from Spain.
Casa de Don Juan de Vargas
About a half block away, however, is another colonial mansion, Casa de Don Juan de Vargas. It costs COP$5,000 (as of October 2023) to visit this mansion with unusual paintings on the ceilings.
Juan de Vargas arrived in the Americas in 1564 and began construction on his mansion in 1585. The ceiling of one of the rooms, painted around 1590, features images of Zeus and Jesus and animals such as rhinos and elephants. Apparently there’s nothing like it in all of Latin America.
No photos were allowed inside the house but I was able to snap some of the courtyard and upper hallway with display cases filled with indigenous antiquities. There were also some original frescoes uncovered on the outer walls.
Outside the Plaza
Most of our time in Tunja was focused on Plaza de Bolívar, but there are some impressive churches within a few blocks of the plaza also worth checking out.
