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The Albarrada of Mompox is the street along the Magdalena River, much of it pedestrianized. This post covers all sites running north from Plaza Santa Bárbara in the historic town center. Mompox is a UNESCO World Heritage site and Colombian Heritage Town (Pueblo Patrimonio).
Homes
Walking north from Plaza Santa Bárbara, we passed by several whitewashed and lightly colored colonial homes along the Albarrada. They all have a beautiful view facing the Magdalena River.
La Momposina
The first point of interest we came to was the birthplace of Edith Cabrales Samudio (1929-1994). She inspired the iconic Caribbean song “La Momposina” by composer José Barros, who was enchanted by her beauty.
Portals of the Marquise
Next door is one of the most famous buildings in Mompox, the Portals of the Marquise. These buildings were constructed at the end of the 17th century and were once two mansions surrounding courtyards. In one lived the Marquise of Torre Hoyos and in the other the Marquis of Santa Coa.
Today, the mansions have been split into four buildings. They’re characterized by their huge portals and windows. On the inside they contain high ceilings and beautiful patios.
Stone of Bolívar
After a few minutes, passing by several more colonial buildings and an unfriendly iguana, we came to the Stone of Bolívar (Piedra de Bolívar). It sits next to the river on a small plaza and indicates the dates of Simón Bolívar’s visits to Mompox.
Plaza de la Concepción
A bit further along the Albarrada is the Plaza de la Concepción. It was originally called Plaza Mayor and is where the very first Spanish settlement of Mompox developed. Due to floods near the end of the 16th century and construction of homes and other buildings, the current plaza is only a fraction of the size.
There are two important buildings on Plaza de la Concepción. One is the Church of the Immaculate Conception (Iglesia de la Inmaculada Concepción), which was originally built in 1541 by conquistador Pedro de Heredia. The current structure was completed in 1931 and is one of the most important churches in Mompox.
Across the plaza is the historic market building. It was built in 1910 and has one side facing the river. Currently, it’s filled with shops and a tourism office.
Moral Plaza
In the small Moral Plaza (Plaza del Moral), Simón Bolívar disembarked on December 25, 1812, and rounded up 300 men to fight the Spanish. It was also the location of a great reception for General Hermógenes Maza, a Colombian revolutionary hero who retired to private life in Mompox in 1826. During colonial times, the plaza functioned as Customs Square (Plaza de la Aduana) because the colonial customs offices were located there.
House of Candelario Obeso
Just off Moral Plaza is the house of Candelario Obeso (1849-1884). Obeso was an important poet of mixed white and African descent. He died a tragic death in Bogotá after a gun he was handling discharged and left him with a bullet in the chest. It’s not known if it was a suicide or an accident.
Casa Frank
A few steps later we came to one of the most interesting houses for me personally, Casa Frank. I was drawn to deep yellow color, the door, and the door knocker in the shape of a lizard. I don’t know if it’s historically significant but it really caught my eye.
Plaza de San Francisco
Finally, we finished at Plaza de San Francisco. This wide open plaza is where you can catch touristic cruises of the Magdalena River and Ciénaga de Pijiño.
The focal point of the plaza is the Church of San Francisco (Iglesia de San Francisco), which was originally built in 1564. The current building was constructed in 1966.
Next door is the Sacred Heart College (Colegio Sagrado Corazón). This school opened its doors on January 2, 1924, and was directed by the Franciscan Mothers. It’s housed in the former convent and cloister of the former Convent of San Francisco (Convento de San Francisco), which had been left in ruins but gradually restored by the nuns.
