23 March 2017 - Popayan (Colombia)

Popayan City

 As a result of its colonial importance, Popayán, established in 1537, is one of the most traditional Colombian towns and is very rich in Colonial architecture. Although in 1983 an earthquake destroyed part of the city, there are still several colonial bridges, museums and churches remaining in the town.

An old convent converted into a hotel near the hostel

The hotel courtyard

The original entrance to the convent

In the morning I decided to go on a free walking tour of the city, making my way (with three of the group) to the town square where it was to start. The first thing to be noticed was that all the buildings were painted white and to be told later by the guide that all buildings in the old part of town have to be painted this colour and that there was a historical reason for this. In the past a red mite, called the ‘Nigua/ Niggas/Niguas Y patoja’ lived in the walls of the houses. For some reason the people used to scratch their feet on the walls and the mites attached themselves to the skin and slowly infected and ate away the peoples feet. It was found that the lime in white paint killed the mites so the result was that all buildings were painted that colour and the mites disappeared. To keep the memory of that time alive some of the buildings still have a corner with just bare stone.

The city square

Views of Popayan

 

 The main square has a clock tower designed by Caldas but built in England. There are four differences compared to a normal clock where the number 4 is replaced by IIII instead of IV; each of three sectors has either al I's, a V or X in each number and there is only one hand on the clock.

There is the story that the Spanish did not like the design so put the designer to death but somehow left the clock in place.

In one of an old merchants house we were shown how all the external windows had steel bars across them and secure locks on the doors to stop errant daughters from going out to visit men. They were not allowed out unless accompanied by a family member. The importance and standing of the family in the community was also determined by who carried the religious objects in street processions. There were hand borne carriages in the house for men and others for children to carry. The male members of the more important families carried the lager carriages and his right was passed down through the generations. There was a contest for those who wanted to carry the children’s carriage and this was open to any child of the city.

Religious carriages

Old costumes

The city is home to a university having 13,000 students with it all housed in the old buildings. One of the guides was learning how to do the job and she mentioned that the degree ceremony took place in an old hall with a special mural on the wall. She mentioned that being in the hall for the ceremony was very special and we were lucky enough to be able to see the hall as it was actually closed at the 

time.

 

Popayan must have been a quirky place at one time, what with its mites, the wealth of the family being determined by the size of the door knocker and a bridge into the city where only pedestrians could cross so everything had to be carried into the city even though the bridge was wide enough for carriages and carts.Sometime after the bridge was built (1873) the river moved its path so that now no water flows under it.

The city bridge

The Old Bridge

There was also the story about the witch catchers on the gutters of the buildings. The photo shows the water from the gutters being collected in corner pockets. It was believed that witches tried to get into the hoses by climbing over the roof and sliding down into the gutter where they would be trapped in the corner pockets. When they escaped they wold cut themselves so the townspeople would look for a young girl (why only a young girl I do not know) with a cut on her leg no-matter how it was done, and accuse her of being a witch. Off to the ducking pond they went and if the girl survived she must obviously be a witch so was put to death and if she drowned then she could not have been a witch as she could not save herself. She was still dead though! Sounded like the Middle Ages in England! 

The merchant's house courtyard

The corner piece of the gutter

Being a city Popayan has a cathedral, and thirty-two other churches. I visited the cathedral, the Capilla De Belen Y La Casa De Jacob church up on the hill and the Iglesia De Santa Domingo church just off the main square. Up on the hill I stayed for most of a service and even though the congregation was small the singing was quite spirited. In the other church there was a group of students and I was surprised to hear modern music being played and sung. I wondered if perhaps this was a church school and the music had been up-dated to appeal to the younger generation having been told previously that only the older people were interested in religion and attending church.

From inside the cathedral

 The church on the hill

Popayan is known as thee White City and it certainly looks to be so. It was a quiet and slow city renowned apparently for it's gastronomy though I ate mainly on the street stalls. A quaint place with many stories so it seemed but not any confirmed on the internet.

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