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Firavitoba is a small town in Boyacá, Colombia. We passed through on our way from Paipa to Lake Tota.
Introduction to Firavitoba
Firavitoba, which roughly translates to “how many clouds” in the Chibcha language, was a settlement originally inhabited by the indigenous Muisca people. Before the Spanish arrived, the name of the village was Firavia.
The town has no official foundation date. The Spanish began controlling the area in 1547, appointing Luis de Sanabria, a soldier under German-born conquistador Nikolaus Federmann (c. 1505-1542), with administrative responsibility in the form of an encomienda. The Franciscans arrived in the middle of the 16th century to force Christianity upon the natives.
The first church was built in 1634, but it burned down and was rebuilt in 1678. The town was destroyed by an unknown tragedy, possibly a fire, and was re-founded in 1718 as Our Lady of the Snows of Firavitoba. The telegraph arrived in 1919 and the public telephone in 1926. In 1929, running water was installed in homes, and the road to Sogamoso was completed in 1933. The first mayor was elected in June 1988.
Today, the main economic activities in Firavitoba are livestock, agriculture, and mining. There’s very little to offer tourists other than a couple beautiful plazas and the church.
Main Plaza in Firavitoba
A good place to start exploring Firavitoba is the main plaza. It’s a large open space with a few trees in the center. The town hall and police station are on the south side.
Parque Sor Gabriela
Parque Sor Gabriela connects the main plaza with Parque de la Catedral. It’s a path containing a few monuments and memorials. The park was inaugurated in 2015 and is dedicated to Mother Gabriela de San Martín (1848-1927),
Parque de la Catedral
On Parque de la Catedral (Cathedral Park) you’ll find the town’s cathedral. It’s an attractive space featuring a memorial to townspeople who served in the Korean War. To the right of the church is a nicely constructed modern building.
Our Lady of the Snows
The most important building in Firavitoba is the Neo-Gothic Church of Our Lady of the Snows (Nuestra Señora de las Nieves). Construction began in 1873 under Father Ignacio Ramón Avella (d. 1901), who had traveled to Paris and obtained the plans for a Gothic church.
Work continued slowly until 1916, when Luis Abdénago Zambrano arrived in town. By then, the original plans had been lost, so he commissioned a new design. Work resumed under Gregorio Gómez. The roof was completed in 1937, the north tower in 1946, and the south tower in 1949. Luis Alberto Molano then installed the main altar.
The church was officially completed in 1976. It’s built entirely out of stone and is the third largest church in Colombia. It measures 76 meters long, 27 meters wide, and 72 meters high.
The church was damaged by an earthquake on January 19, 1995, and restored in 2009. On October 18, 2019, it was elevated to a minor basilica. Unfortunately, it was closed when we passed through town.
Cultural Center
On the south side of the park is the Cultural Center (Casa de la Cultura), which has two murals of locals practicing the traditional crafts of the town.
