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Rionegro is mostly known as the city where Medellín’s international airport is located, but there’s more to it than that. We decided to stop by and check it out before a flight to Bogotá.
Our first impression of Rionegro wasn’t that great. Driving into the city center, it was dirty, crowded, and ugly. Once we parked the car and started walking to the main plaza, things changed dramatically.
Plaza
The plaza is a beautiful open space surrounded by colonial buildings. In the center is a fountain and equestrian statue of Simón Bolívar.
On the day we visited, there was also an exhibition of military helicopters. In the smaller helicopter, visitors were able to climb inside and take a picture.
Cathedral
The Cathedral of St. Nicholas (Concatedral de San Nicolás el Magno), built between 1793 and 1804, sits on the east end of the plaza.
MAR
On the west end of the plaza, you can see the results of a major redevelopment. The Rionegro Museum of Arts (Museo de Artes de Rionegro), or MAR, has been built into a space underneath the plaza. At the bottom of the ramp, you’ll find galleries for permanent and temporary exhibitions as well as a café.
The permanent gallery contained historic paintings related to Colombia and the city. The temporary gallery contained an interesting exhibit about the Colombian Air Force.
We also stopped into Brulé, which is a small café. I tried their house specialty, Brulé tradicional, which was a coffee with lime and coffee beans. I can’t say I liked it very much.
Church of San Francisco
Outside of the plaza, we found the Church of San Francisco (Iglesia de San Francisco), which is an old wooden church. Construction began in 1759. It’s interesting to stop into if the doors are open.
Convention House
On the next block is the Convention House (Casa de la Convención). This small colonial house played an important role in Colombian history. The Constitution of 1863 was signed in the house on May 8 of that year, after the formation of the United States of Colombia.
The house is now a museum containing six rooms with items and images pertaining to the signing of the constitution. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovation, but the security guard let us walk around the courtyard.
The courtyard features busts of important people from Rionegro as well as an old carriage.
Church Offices
Next door are the offices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sonsón-Rionegro. They’re located in a pair of older buildings. The door on one of the buildings really caught my eye.
Murals
Finally, walking back to the car, we found some interesting murals on a street that was being repaved.
