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Socorro is a city in the Santander department of Colombia about an hour south of San Gil. One of the country’s Heritage Towns (Pueblos Patrimonio), it’s famous for playing an integral role in the Colombian independence movement.
Revolt of the Commoners
Socorro was founded on June 16, 1683, and the seeds of revolution in the country were sown in the town in 1781. During that time, the country was known as Nueva Granada and belonged to Spain. The Spanish crown decided to tax the residents of Nueva Granada in order to raise funds to protect it from the British.
On March 16, 1781, a grocer named Manuela Beltrán tore down posters about tax increases. The anger spread and local residents began to come together. Juan Francisco Berbeo, an upper-class member of Socorran society, gathered an army of rebels numbering around 20,000 troops and marched on Bogotá. The army was the largest ever to reach the capital. They defeated the Spanish soldiers sent to meet them, and were able to reach an agreement with the Spanish government on their complaints and conditions.
The Spanish government quickly rejected the agreement and sent reinforcements to quash rebels in the cities and towns that refused to comply with the tax increase. One of the leaders of the revolt, José Antonio Galán, was executed. The Revolt of the Commoners (Comuneros) was over.
Our Lady of Chiquinquirá Park
A good place to start exploring Socorro is at Our Lady of Chiquinquirá Park (Parque Nuestra Señora de Chiquinquirá). This small plaza is where the Revolt of the Comuneros began with over 2,000 protesters participating. The plaza features a fountain dedicated to Antonia Santos, a Colombian revolutionary leader executed in 1819, and a historic church, Our Lady of Chiquinquirá (Nuestra Señora de Chiquinquirá).
Independence Park
About four blocks north is Independence Park (Parque de la Independencia), which is the main plaza in Socorro. There, you’ll find a beautiful plaza with tall palm trees and a monument to José Antonio Galán wielding a sword in the center.
The plaza is surrounded by a mixture of colonial and modern buildings. One of them is Casa de Juan Francisco Berbeo (d. 1795), the home of the rebel army leader, which sits on the southeast corner. It now contains a café and bar. There’s also a monument to Antonia Santos on the northeast corner in the middle of the road.
Church
The most important building on Independence Park is the church, Our Lady of Help (Nuestra Señora del Socorro). Construction started on December 18, 1873, and finished on August 1, 1943. Standing 96m tall, it’s the third tallest church in Colombia. The main altar contains marble imported from Carrara, Italy. In my opinion, it’s one of the more beautiful temples in the country.
Museum
Two blocks east of the plaza is the Horacio Rodríguez Plata Museum and Cultural Center (Museo Casa de la Cultura Horacio Rodríguez Plata). It was built in 1954 and opened in 1957 as the first cultural center in Colombia. It houses a library, archives, historical museum, and also hosts painting and music workshops.
Guided visits are available daily from 8am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm. It closes at noon on Sundays and holidays. A small admission fee is charged. Nobody was around to open the door so we didn’t visit.
Monasteries
Across from the museum is the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception and St. Joseph (Monasterio de la Inmaculada Concepción y San José). It was founded in 1908 and is still active.
Four blocks east and uphill is Convent Park (Parque del Convento), which sits in front of the Capuchin Monastery of St. John the Baptist (Monasterio de los Capuchinos San Juan Bautista) and the Chapel of Santa Bárbara (Capilla de Santa Bárbara).
This monastery and chapel were built by a royal decree issued by Spanish King Carlos III in 1786 and inaugurated on July 24, 1795. The first independence act of Colombia was signed there on July 11, 1810, as well as the proclamation of the first constitutional guidelines of Colombia and Latin America on August 15, 1810.
You can also get good views of Our Lady of Help from the street.
Café Foster
Before leaving Socorro, we had a coffee at Café Foster. It’s a nice place with friendly service but the coffee was terrible.
Getting There
Socorro is on the main highway between Bogotá and San Gil. The bus terminal is on the main road and is located just a few blocks from Independence Park.
Conclusion
Overall, Socorro isn’t worth stopping for unless you’re really interested in Colombian independence. It’s not a particularly attractive town and doesn’t have much going for it other than the few historic buildings and the cathedral.
