Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [74]
Tunja is the highest and coldest departmental capital in Colombia. Its mountain climate can be windy or wet any time of the year. If you’ve forgotten your winter woollies, there are plenty of shops north of the main square.
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Information
Banco BBVA (Carrera 11) Has an ATM.
Bancolombia (Carrera 10 No 22-43) Has an ATM and changes traveler’s checks and currency.
Virtual Net ( 743 6056; Carrera 10 No 19-83; per hr COP$1000; 9am-7pm)
Internet Orbitel ( 743 0955; Calle 20 No 10-26; per hr COP$1400; 8am-9pm) Internet and international phone calls.
Tourist office ( 742 3272; Carrera 9 No 19-68; 8am-noon & 2-6pm) Secretaría de Educación, Cultura y Turismo, inside the Casa del Fundador Suárez Rendón.
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Sights
Tunja is a trove of colonial-era churches noted for their Mudejar art, an Islamic-influenced style, developed in Christian Spain between the 12th and 16th centuries. It’s particularly visible in the ornamented coffered vaults. As well as its churches, some of Tunja’s best sights are its historic mansions that have been opened as museums.
CASA DEL FUNDADOR SUÁREZ RENDÓN
One of the finest historic mansions in town is the Casa del Fundador Suárez Rendón ( 742 3272, 742 3441; Carrera 9 No 19-68; admission COP$1500; 8am-6pm), the original home of the founder of Tunja. Built in the mid-16th century on the eastern side of Plaza de Bolívar, it’s a fine example of a magnificent aristocratic residence from the times of the Spanish Conquest. Its most interesting feature is the ceiling, covered with intriguing scenes (see the boxed text) that were only recently discovered when a ceiling collapsed. There’s also a good bookstore and artisan workshops.
CASA DE DON JUAN DE VARGAS
Once home to scribe Juan de Vargas, Casa de Don Juan de Vargas ( 742 6611; Calle 20 No 8-52; admission COP$2000; 9am-noon & 2-5pm Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun) is another splendid 16th-century residence. It also has been converted into a museum and has a collection of colonial artworks on display. Here again, the most captivating features are the ceilings, covered with eclectic paintings.
CASA CULTURAL GUSTAVO ROJAS PINILLA
This small but lovely colonial home was the birthplace of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla ( 742 6814, 742 2511; Calle 17 No 10-64; admission free; 8am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-Fri), who became president of Colombia in a 1953 military coup with promises of reform. Instead, his tenure was marked by corruption and brutality until he too was overthrown three years later. The ground floor contains an art gallery with regular exhibits by local art students. Upstairs, a small museum explores Pinilla’s life through photographs, documents and personal belongings.
IGLESIA DE SANTO DOMINGO
The nondescript exterior of the mid-16th-century Iglesia de Santo Domingo (Carrera 11 No 19-55) hides one of the most richly decorated interiors in Colombia. To the left as you enter is the large Capilla del Rosario, dubbed La Capilla Sixtina del Arte Neogranadino (Sistine Chapel of New Granada’s Art). Decorated by Fray Pedro Bedón from Quito, the chapel is exuberantly rich in wonderful, gilded wood carving – a magnificent example of Hispano-American baroque art. The statue of the Virgen del Rosario in the altar niche is encrusted in mother-of-pearl and clad with mirrors.
IGLESIA Y CONVENTO DE SANTA CLARA LA REAL
Founded in 1571, the Iglesia y Convento de Santa Clara La Real ( 742 5659; Carrera 7 No 19-58; admission COP$2000; 8am-noon & 2-6pm) is thought to be the first convent in Nueva Granada. In 1863 the nuns were expelled and the convent was used for various purposes, including serving as a hospital. The church, however, continued to provide religious services. The single-naved church interior shelters a wealth of colonial artwork on its walls, most of which comes from the 16th to 18th centuries. Note the golden sun on the ceiling, a Spanish trick to help the indígenas convert to Catholicism (the sun was the principal god of the Muisca people). Next