Santander Park

The Carrera séptima and Calle 16, in the area once known as "Plaza de las Hierbas," has significant historical importance for the entire country. According to some historians, on August 6, 1538, this site was where Bogotá was founded in a simple ceremony.

This version contradicts some authors, such as Rodrigo Fraile or Father Simón y Vergara, who argue that the first construction occurred where the Primatial Cathedral is today. These authors agree that this square was the first marketplace and the most important of the Spanish colonial period.

Santander Park, where the Gold Museum is also located—one of the most important in the world—and the Avianca building, which with its 37 floors was once one of the tallest towers in South America, is perhaps the most influential historical-religious corner of the city. Before the Republic, the place was called San Francisco Park because it was next to the convent and church of the same name. It was also known as "Plaza de las Hierbas."

It is said that several significant personalities once lived in this area, including Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, the founder of the city, and General Francisco de Paula Santander, who served as Colombia's first vice president at the time of independence. In 1851, the park was named in honor of Santander as a well-deserved tribute.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the park underwent one of its most important renovations. Eight chandeliers with 36 lamps were installed, benches were repaired, the fountains were maintained, and two sculptures were erected in homage to Bogotá's poets, José Asunción Silva and Rafael Pombo.

Today, the park serves as a stage for street art and is a popular stop on Sundays during the Ciclovía along Carrera 7.