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Bogotá · History

The Bogotá that made a nation: from colony to republic

Before it became the capital of Colombia, Bogotá was Santafé, capital of the New Kingdom of Granada. This route traces that transition in just a few blocks: the king's mint, the shop where the revolution of 1810 broke out, the old square of the viceroys turned seat of Congress, the presidential palace built on Antonio Nariño's birthplace and a church that became a battlefield.

  • 5 stops
  • 1.1 km
  • 1 h 30 min
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Casa del Florero, a white colonial house with a green corner balcony

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Casa de Moneda (the Mint)From 1621 the coins of the New Kingdom of Granada were struck here, and the building went on making Colombia's money until 1987.
  2. 2 Casa del Florero (Independence Museum)A vase that was never lent: the staged quarrel that sparked independence on 20 July 1810.
  3. 3 National Capitol78 years of building work, several architects and a dome that never came: Congress rose where the viceroys' palace once stood.
  4. 4 Casa de NariñoThe presidential palace stands on the plot where Antonio Nariño was born, the man who risked his freedom to print the Rights of Man.
  5. 5 Church of San AgustínA 17th-century church that served as barracks, battlefield and the last resting place of La Pola.

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Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

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What you’ll discover

The Bogotá that made a nation: from colony to republic

The flower-vase revolution

Find out how a quarrel planned in advance on 20 July 1810 opened the road to independence.

Three centuries of architecture

From wooden colonial balconies to the neoclassical stone of the Capitol, the route is a visual guide to the city.

Real people

Nariño, La Pola, Mosquera and the architects of the Capitol: named individuals behind every façade.

Keep exploring

More routes in Bogotá

Back to Bogotá
Mysteries & legendsBogotá of gold, gunpowder and secrets MixedBogotá's must-sees: from the Gold Museum to La Candelaria