Colonia Tovar (Tovar Colony) is a cold mountain town of

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, capital of the municipality Tovar in

Aragua Aragua State (, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. It is located in the north-central region of Venezuela. It has plains, jungles and Caribbean beaches. The most popular beaches are Cata and Choroni. It has Venezuela's first national par ...

state. It is located about west of

Caracas Caracas ( , ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas (CCS), is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the northern p ...

. It was founded on April 8, 1843, by a group of 390 immigrants from the then independent state of the

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918. The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...

(later incorporated into

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

). It is characterized by the cultural imprint of its origin, so it is called "the Germany of the Caribbean". The economy depends primarily on agriculture and tourism. Colonia Tovar is known for its temperate crops (

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...

es,

strawberries The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit is appreciated f ...

beets The beetroot (British English) or beet (North American English) is the taproot portion of a ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'' plant in the Conditiva Group. The plant is a root vegetable also known as the table beet, garden beet, dinner beet ...

cauliflower Cauliflower is one of several vegetables cultivated from the species '' Brassica oleracea'' in the genus '' Brassica'', which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family. Cauliflower usually grows with one main stem that carries a large, rou ...

carrot The carrot ('' Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in colour, though heirloom variants including purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild ...

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of '' Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.& ...

chard Chard (; '' Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'', Cicla Group and Flavescens Group) is a green leafy vegetable. In the cultivars of the Flavescens Group, or Swiss chard, the leaf stalks are large and often prepared separately from the leaf b ...

broccoli Broccoli (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''italica'') is an edible green plant in the Brassicaceae, cabbage family (family Brassicaceae, genus ''Brassica'') whose large Pseudanthium, flowering head, plant stem, stalk and small associated leafy gre ...

lettuce Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable. The leaves are most often used raw in Green salad, green salads, although lettuce is also seen in other kinds of food, such as sandwiche ...

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

s and

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

es) and their derivatives. Since 1990 it has experienced high population growth, rising from 3,373 to 21,000 inhabitants in 2016.

History

Between 1806 and 1918, a state called the

occupied much of the eastern bank of the

Rhine River The Rhine ( ) is one of the major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Swiss-Austrian border. From Lake Cons ...

in the southwest corner of the mountainous wine-producing area Kaiserstuhl. This duchy provided the majority of settlers in Colonia Tovar. A colonizing company was formed, composed of colonel Agostino Codazzi and Ramón Díaz, and as guarantor Martín Tovar y Ponte (the Count of Tovar). Codazzi contacted residents of Kaiserstuhl and selected an area for the colony, choosing a site with geographic and climatic similarities to the German region. The land belonged to the nephew of Count of Tovar, Manuel Felipe Tovar, who donated it for the creation of the colony. On October 14, 1841, the territory was founded as ''Palmar del Tuy'' and construction of infrastructure was begun. Once completed, the colonizing company went to the town of Endingen in Kaiserstuhl to select settlers. Contracts between the company and immigrants were signed at the inn ''Der Pfauen'', a few meters from the entrance to the city. According to Alexander Benitz, the immigrants who embarked the ''Havre'' ship to Venezuela numbered 389: 239 men and 150 women,ref>Jahn Montauban, Leopoldo. "La Colonia Tovar y su gente" Primera edición, 1990. Caracas, Venezuela. most from Kaiserstuhl. They departed for Venezuela on December 18, 1842. They travelled along the Rhine, embarked at the port of

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

(France) on January 19, 1843, and arrived at the

La Guaira La Guaira () is the capital city of the Venezuelan Vargas (state), state of the same name (formerly named Vargas) and the country's main port, founded in 1577 as an outlet for nearby Caracas. The city hosts its own professional baseball team i ...

on 4 March aboard the French ship ''Clemence'' piloted by Captain Malverin. The ship was scheduled to land on the Puerto Maya coast, north of La Victoria, but given that no previous journeys had followed the path mapped by Codazzi, the ship was forced to turn to Choroní on an alternate path. This path was also designed by Codazzi and opened by engineer Inder Pellegrini, leaving La Victoria to the place assigned for the new population. However, they could not disembark immediately in Choroní because of a

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

epidemic on board. The passengers and crew quarantined in Choroní from March 13. On March 31, they headed to the city of

Maracay Maracay () is a city in north-central Venezuela, near the Caribbean coast, and is the capital and most important city of the state of Aragua. Most of it falls under the jurisdiction of Girardot Municipality. The population of Maracay and its ...

and La Victoria where they were received by

President of Venezuela The president of Venezuela (), officially known as the president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (), is the executive head of state and head of government of Venezuela. The president leads the National Executive of the Venezuelan go ...

Carlos Soublette Carlos Valentín José de la Soledad Antonio del Sacramento de Soublette y Jerez de Aristeguieta (15 December 1789 – 11 February 1870) was a Venezuelan politician and military officer who was the 7th and 9th president of Venezuela from 18 ...

. Settlers arrived in Palmar del Tuy on April 8, 1843, 112 days after leaving Baden. That day is considered the foundation day of Colonia Tovar, which took the last name of the donor. The first residents included scientists, naturalists, writers and painters, such as Carl Ferdinand Appun, Hermann Karsten, Karl Moritz, Friedrich Gerstäcker, Anton Goering, Augustus Fendler, Ferdinand Bellermann (a painter who was sponsored by Humboldt), some buried in the city cemetery. Initially, the village was organized around the production of

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

. As "''los colonieros''" were thriving, production spread to new lands and activities such as growing vegetables and fruits, sent to markets in

or La Victoria. The manufacture of barrels became another income source. For many years the colony was connected with

by a river. The difficulty of communication, isolation and the environmental setting so different from the mountains of Germany kept the people relatively isolated, with slow or even negative population growth, due to

rural exodus Rural flight (also known as rural-to-urban migration, rural depopulation, or rural exodus) is the Human migration, migratory pattern of people from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective. In Industriali ...

. That trend reversed in the 1960s, when Colonia Tovar took up tourism, which led to significant economic development and population growth. It became one of the richest towns in the country measured by population and one of the highest in terms of quality of life. The descendants of early settlers fully integrated into the country and the town natively speaks

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

, although German fluency is common.

Geography

Colonia Tovar is located between 1,600 and 2,200 meters above sea level, in the central part of the

Venezuelan Coastal Range The Venezuelan Coastal Range ( or ), also known as Venezuelan Caribbean Mountain System (), is a mountain range system and one of the eight natural regions of Venezuela, that runs along the central and eastern portions of Venezuela's northern coa ...

. It is connected with

and La Victoria by road. Its climate is temperate (''Cwb'') mountain with a daily temperature range of about , with a mean of , and frequent mists, especially at dawn and evening. The city is located in northern

state. The municipality has the shape of the letter "L". It is bounded on the north by the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

, the northeast by the state of Vargas, in the east by Caracas (Libertador municipality) in the south by the Aragua River and to the east ends by the

Santiago Mariño Municipality The Santiago Mariño Municipality is one of the 18 municipalities (municipios) that makes up the Venezuelan state of Aragua and, according to the 2011 census by the National Institute of Statistics of Venezuela, the municipality has a population o ...

. Colonia Tovar sits on rugged terrain with creeks and streams. Misty mountain landscapes are characteristic of the

(running along the Venezuelan coast). Codazzi peak (2,429 meters) is north of the town. The cloud forest characterizes the dominant vegetation but changes to gallery forest at lower altitudes before ending with savanna weeds southward and

xerophytic A xerophyte () is a species of plant that has adaptations to survive in an environment with little liquid water. Examples of xerophytes include cactus, cacti, pineapple and some gymnosperm plants. The morphology (biology), morphology and physiology ...

s in the north. The colony is surrounded by houses (

chalet A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-su ...

s) relatively far apart in many small plots of intensive use. It develops an intensive agriculture: flowers, strawberries, tomatoes, peaches, garlic, peaches and other temperate crops. Ceramic craft workshops, sausage factories, cookies and candy, breweries, canned foods (jams, peaches, etc..) are present.

Hydrography, flora and fauna

The

hydrography Hydrography is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time, for the primary ...

is divided into three basins: the Caribbean Sea, fed by the: San Miguel, Ocumare, Cata, Aroa and Tuy rivers; the

Orinoco River The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers approximately 1 million km2, with 65% of it in Venezuela and 35% in Colombia. It is the List of rivers by discharge, f ...

, fed by the Memo and Guárico rivers; and the endorheic Lake Valencia, fed by the Aragua, Turmero, Maracay, Tapa-tapa, Tocorón, and Las Minas rivers. The River Aragua, southern boundary of the Colonia Tovar, was formed by the confluence of the Gabante and Curtidor rivers, above Pie de Cerro, north of La Victoria. The Gabante river is a tributary to Quebrada Honda, while Curtidor river converges with the San Carlos and Quebrada Coche rivers. All these rivers and streams originate in the high mountains surrounding Colonia Tovar. The headwaters of the Tuy River are near the town. The city is located in a catchment area of the river, which forms a kind of amphitheater. Colonia is located within Codazzi Peak Natural Monument and near

Henri Pittier National Park Henri Pittier National Park is the oldest national park in Venezuela, originally created in 1937 under the name of ''Rancho Grande'' by decree of President Eleazar López Contreras. In 1953 the park was renamed in honor of Henri Pittier, a distin ...

. In addition to its diverse climate zones and flora. The diverse flora includes mostly

epiphyte An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

s such as

orchids Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Earth ...

bromeliad The Bromeliaceae (the bromeliads) are a Family (biology), family of monocot flowering plants of about 80 genera and 3700 known species, native mainly to the Tropics, tropical Americas, with several species found in the American subtropics and on ...

s and a variety of tree

fern The ferns (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta) are a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. They differ from mosses by being vascular, i.e., having specialized tissue ...

s. Colonia has diverse wildlife, mainly birds, totaling 578 registered species. Mammals and snakes contribute to this diversity. Chalet en la Colonia Tovar

The local fauna is characteristic of

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, Montane forest, montane, Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist forest characteri ...

s; a habitat for many endemic species due to its unique climate and peatland environment. Among the wildlife present, species most commonly referred to are the classic golden-headed quetzal and the toucan beak emerald bottle, also known as "tiátaro." Coludo blue

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

s and tiles

swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

s are present. Among the most common primates is the

black howler The black howler (''Alouatta caraya'') or black-and-gold howler, is among the largest New World monkeys and a member of the ''Alouatta'' genus. The black howler is distributed in areas of South America such as Paraguay, southern Brazil, eastern ...

. Also common are the Tara

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

, the mountaineer

armadillo Armadillos () are New World placental mammals in the order (biology), order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are dis ...

and many more. A frog is named after this area, the El Tovar Glass Frog ''( Celsiella revocata)'', that lives in the cloud forests of this region. The Estación Biológica de Rancho Grande hosts a zoological museum that showcases area species. It has facilities and equipment such as magnifying glasses, water, trays and measurement instruments.

Economy

Agriculture allowed the los colonieros to spread around the valley. Fruits and vegetables from there are sold throughout the country, especially in Caracas, Valencia, Maracay and La Victoria.

Farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer ...

s and crafters set up markets with stalls that include red roofs. Colonia Tovar produces wooden casks. Los colonieros produce other crops and goods originating in German culture, such as

es,

tree tomato The tamarillo (''Solanum betaceum'') is a tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Solanaceae (the nightshade family). It bears the tamarillo, an egg-shaped edible fruit. It is also known as the ''tree tomato'', ''tomate de árbol'', ''toma ...

passion fruit ''Passiflora edulis'', commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to the region of southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its ...

blackberries BlackBerry is a discontinued brand of handheld devices and related mobile services, originally developed and maintained by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM, later known as BlackBerry Limited) until 2016. The first BlackBerry device ...

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of tree or shrub in the flowering plant family Moraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, together with western and southern Asia. It has been cultivated since ancient times and i ...

vegetables Vegetables are edible parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. This original meaning is still commonly used, and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including flowers, fruits, ...

bread Bread is a baked food product made from water, flour, and often yeast. It is a staple food across the world, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cu ...

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs, may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

pastry Pastry refers to a variety of Dough, doughs (often enriched with fat or eggs), as well as the sweet and savoury Baking, baked goods made from them. The dough may be accordingly called pastry dough for clarity. Sweetened pastries are often descr ...

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi- solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavour, texture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French wor ...

s and

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an Leavening agent, unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or Eggs as food, eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Pasta was originally on ...

beer Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches from cereal grain—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize (corn), rice, and oats are also used. The grain is mashed to convert starch in the ...

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

ceramic A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.05%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4.5%), or 0.25 for low carbon "mild" steel. Wrought iron is manufactured by heating and melting high carbon cast iron in an ...

and

craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pr ...

s. With the influx of tourism from the 1960s, cottages were converted to hotels, restaurants were built into traditional huts. Tourism, mainly from

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

and

has been replacing agriculture as the main economic activity.

Language and culture

Colonia Tovar operated as a closed community. The founders intended to maintain their cultural traditions. Upon arrival, they built houses reflecting the distinctive architecture of Kaiserstuhl. The Baden dialect (''Badisches Dialekt'') dominated the area and food and clothing remained traditional. For a time marriage outside the colonia was forbidden in order to ensure ethnic and cultural continuity. Although the official language of Venezuela is

, some people in Colonia Tovar speak ''alemannisch'': Alemannic, Alemán Coloniero precisely. It is a variant language that was inherited from previous generations, although many phonetic and lexical motifs are no longer used in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. Moreover, the Alemán Coloniero has a strong influence of Spanish words with an ending in Alemán Coloniero. Many words came about after the Colonia Tovar was created, because of minimal communication with Germany. Most descendants of German settlers in Colonia Tovar now mostly speak Standard German. The houses, buildings, and shops are made according to the Kaiserstuhl style, giving Colonia Tovar an unmistakable peculiar identity. The Church of St. Martin de Tours in the center of town is a copy of the Endingen in

, origin of most of the founders. In 1940, Spanish was established as the official language and

exogamous Exogamy is the social norm of mating or marrying outside one's social group. The group defines the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. One form of exogamy is dual exogamy, in which tw ...

marriage became a free practice. In the early 21st century, the inhabitants started to integrate into Venezuelan culture, without abandoning their customs. Among the traditions that remain is

craftsmanship Workmanship is a human attribute relating to knowledge and skill at performing a task. Workmanship is also a quality imparted to a product. The type of work may include the creation of handcrafts, art, writing, machinery and other products. Workma ...

in wood, ceramic and other materials. The Academic Center of Violin is a local school that prepares students in the art of manufacturing, maintenance and repair of symphonic instruments.

Gastronomy

The

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, List of cooking techniques, techniques and Dish (food), dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, ...

is conditioned by its German origin. Popular desserts include ''

strudel Strudel ( , ) is a type of layered pastry with a filling that is usually sweet, but savoury fillings are also common. It became popular in the 18th century throughout the Habsburg monarchy, Habsburg Empire. Strudel is part of Austrian cuisine ...

s'', '' gugelhupf'', cakes and churros and/or strawberries with cream, the traditionals ''

Kaiserschmarrn () or (; ) is a lightly sweetened pancake that takes its name from the Austrian emperor (Kaiser) Franz Joseph I, who was fond of this fluffy shredded pancake. It is served as a dessert or as a light lunch alongside apple sauce and contains ra ...

'', ''

Germknödel Germknödel ( in Austrian German) is a fluffy yeast dough dumpling (knödel), filled with spiced plum jam and served with melted butter and a mix of poppy seeds and sugar on top. It is occasionally, even though less traditional, served with vani ...

'', ''

Apfelstrudel Apple strudel (; ; Yiddish: שטרודל) is a traditional Viennese strudel, a popular pastry in Austria, Switzerland, Bavaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Northern Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and other countries in Europe t ...

'' and '' Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte'', known in English as Black Forest cake, along with

charcuterie Charcuterie (, , also , ; ; from , and ) is a branch of French cuisine devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, Terrine (food), terrines, ''galantines'', ''ballotines'', ''pâtés'', and ''confit'', primarily from pork. Ch ...

and specialties including the famous German

s. Also characteristic is the local

Dances and celebrations

Oktoberfest Oktoberfest (; ) is the world's largest , featuring a beer festival and a travelling carnival, and is held annually in Munich, Bavaria, from mid- or late-September to the first Sunday in October. The annual event attracts more than seven milli ...

'' is held annually in October. On occasion, groups from Germany were invited to play traditional music. The International Festival of Chamber Music also takes place. April 8 is celebrated as the Colonia's founding date. Cultural activities in the Plaza Bolívar include a parade involving educational activities, dance groups, and cultural exchanges between locals and guests. The annual election of the Queen of Colonia Tovar is then.

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

parades include Jokilis and Gorilas. The Jokili is a character that appeared in Germany in 1782, a mixture of

jester A jester, also known as joker, court jester, or fool, was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch kept to entertain guests at the royal court. Jesters were also travelling performers who entertained common folk at fairs and town ma ...

and

harlequin Harlequin (, , ; , ) is the best-known of the comic servant characters (Zanni) from the Italian commedia dell'arte, associated with the city of Bergamo. The role is traditionally believed to have been introduced by the Italian actor-manager Zan ...

. Their dress consists of a red suit with a fringed collar, sleeves, waist and legs, which reveal bells. They sport a three-pointed hat, white gloves and pointed shoes. They have a wooden mask, custom made for each Jokili. A carved wooden stick, which carries a knotted rope and a pig's bladder, a globe, is the instrument that usually hits bystanders.

St. Martin of Tours Martin of Tours (; 316/3368 November 397) was the third bishop of Tours. He is the patron saint of many communities and organizations across Europe, including France's Third Republic. A native of Pannonia (present-day Hungary), he converted to ...

, the patron saint of travelers, is honored on 11 November. The church has an image of the saint, brought by the founders from Baden. On the same day is the Festival of Flowers, Fruits, and Crafts, in which prizes are awarded to the best products. Two music festivals are held annually, one between March and April, and the other between August and September. One celebrates cultural heritage, held since 1992 and known as the International Festival of Chamber Music Colonia Tovar. The second is the Friends of Chamber Music Colonia Tovar, which has been held since 1997. Along with the religious celebrations of

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

, in Colonia Tovar the traditional German "nests" take place, to celebrate the coming of Easter bunnies and eggs. It usually involves whole families, and it is customary for the children look for hidden eggs. The following Monday, the residents attend the Chapel of the Resurrection. A blessing of crops and food is given.

Attractions

The City Museum offers history, customs, and traditions of the Germanic people. Breikanz Mall is a series of shops offering crafts particular to

and typical of the region. Its restaurants offer steaks,

embutido (Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese), (European Portuguese) or (Catalan) is a generic term for cured ground meat products. The dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy defines it as "intestine stuffed with minced meat, mainly pork; intestine stuf ...

s (cold meats or cured meats like sausage, bologna and salami), and

Vienna sausage Vienna sausage (; Viennese/Austrian German: or ; Swiss German: ; Swabian: or ) is a thin parboiled sausage traditionally made of pork and beef in a casing of sheep's intestine, then given a low-temperature smoking. The word is German fo ...

s. Codazzi Peak reaches 2,429 m high in

. It covers 11,850 sq m, shared by the states of Vargas, Miranda and the Capital District. It was declared a national monument on June 5, 1991, in honor of Italian geographer/cartographer Agostino Codazzi (1793-1859). The Panarigua Archaeological Museum and Panarigua Inn are there. Tovar Brewery was the first Venezuelan

made in Colonia Tovar in 1843, arrived with its founders. Production methods have remained unchanged. It is produced by Cervecería Tovar C. A., and observes the quality standards defined in the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. Several buildings in the city center and around the Plaza Bolivar form the historical town's center. The most representative buildings are the Church of St. Martin of Tours, the Casa Codazzi, and the Old School. Many restaurants, cafes, craft shops are present. Also located in the city center, Anno Domine Museum holds equipment belonging to the first settlers, documents, and paintings belonging to Baroness Elizabeth von Seller.

Media

* KAY Radio

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Colonia Tovar is twinned with:

Gallery

File:Busto Agustin Codazzi.jpg, Agostino Codazzi monument in Colonia Tovar

References

{{Authority control 1843 establishments in Venezuela European-Venezuelan culture German diaspora in South America Populated places established in 1843 Populated places in Aragua