Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [75]
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TUNJA’S ENIGMATIC CEILING PAINTINGS
Several colonial mansions in Tunja, including the Casa del Fundador Suárez Rendón and the Casa de Don Juan de Vargas, have their ceilings adorned with unusual paintings featuring a strange mishmash of motifs taken from very different traditions. They include mythological scenes, human figures, animals and plants, coats of arms and architectural details. You can spot Zeus and Jesus amid tropical plants or an elephant under a Renaissance arcade – you probably haven’t seen anything like that before. In fact, there’s nothing similar anywhere in Latin America.
The source of these bizarre decorations seems to be Juan de Vargas himself. He was a scribe and had a large library with books on European art and architecture, ancient Greece and Rome, religion and natural history. It seems that the illustrations in the books were the source of motifs for the anonymous painters who worked on these ceilings. Since the original illustrations were in black and white, the color schemes are by the design of these unknown artisans.
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OTHER CHURCHES
Catedral Santiago de Tunja (Carrera 9 No 19-28) on Plaza de Bolívar is Tunja’s largest church and stylistically the most complex, dating to 1554. Iglesia de Santa Bárbara (Carrera 11 No 16-62) was completed in 1599; its Capilla de la Epístola has an outstanding Mudejar ceiling. Iglesia de San Agustín ( 742 2312; cnr Carrera 8 & Calle 23), now a library, faces Parque Pinzón on a site believed to be the heart of Hunza, the Musica capital. Iglesia de San Francisco (Carrera 10 No 22-23), built from 1550 to 1572, boasts a splendid main retable framed into an elaborate gilded arch at the entrance to the presbytery. Note the impressively realistic sculpture of Christ (carved in 1816), Cristo de los Mártires.
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Festivals & Events
Semana Santa (Easter Week) Boyacá is one of the most traditional departments, so religious celebrations in the countryside and Tunja itself are observed with due solemnity. Processions circle the city streets on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Festival Internacional de la Cultura (Sep) A cultural event that includes theater performances, concerts and art exhibitions.
Aguinaldo Boyacense (Dec) A religious feast that runs for a week before Christmas with parades and dances.
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Sleeping
Hotel American ( 742 2471; Calle 11 No 18-70; s/d with shared bath COP$12,000/22,000, with private bath COP$25,000/35,000) This basic but clean hotel is the cheapest option downtown. All rooms have lukewarm water and TV. The hotel also has a popular, cheap restaurant.
Hotel Imperial ( 314 206-1326; Calle 19 No 7-43; s/d COP$20,000/25,000) Bathed in color and light, Hotel Imperial has 17 clean, comfy rooms and friendly staff. Check the rooms first; some are tiny closets with hobbit-sized doors.
Hotel Conquistador de América ( 742 3534; Calle 20 No 8-92; s/d COP$25,000/40,000; ) A colonial building at the corner of Plaza de Bolívar has 20 ample rooms, with private bathrooms, hot showers and TVs. Some rooms are dim and boxy while the larger rooms facing the street can be noisy, so pick your poison.
Hostería San Carlos ( 742 3716; Carrera 11 No 20-12; s/d/tr COP$30,000/50,000/70,000) Located in an old colonial home and run by a friendly granny, the San Carlos is the best downtown budget option. This character-filled hotel has 11 comfy rooms with period furnishings, including a five-bed room for big groups.
Hotel Casa Real ( 310 852 1636; hotelcasareal@yahoo.es; Calle 19 No 7-65; s/d/tr COP$40,000/50,000/60,000; ) This relatively new hotel, located between the bus station and the main plaza, is sparsely furnished but painted in colorful pastel designs. All 11 rooms come with private bathroom and hot water.
Hotel Boyacá Plaza ( 740 1116; hotelboyacaplaza@hotmail.com; Calle 18 No 11-22; s/d with breakfast