Duitama () is a city and municipality in the department of Boyacá. It's the capital of the
Tundama Province
The Tundama Province is a province of the Colombian Department of Boyacá. The province is formed by 9 municipalities.
Etymology
The province is named after ''cacique'' Tundama
Tundama or Saymoso (15th century – late December 1539 in ...
. Duitama is located northeast of
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...
, the capital of
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
and northeast of
Tunja
Tunja () is a municipality and city on the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, in the region known as the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, 130 km northeast of Bogotá. In 2018 the municipality had a population of 172,548. It is the capital of B ...
, the capital of Boyacá.Official website Duitama /ref> In 2023 Duitama had an estimated population of 131,591.
Etymology
Duitama has existed since pre-Columbian times, when the
Muisca
The Muisca (also called the Chibcha) are indigenous peoples in Colombia and were a Pre-Columbian culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The Muisca spe ...
inhabited the hills surrounding a former lake in the valley. The original name of Duitama was "Tundama", named after ''
cacique
A cacique, sometimes spelled as cazique (; ; feminine form: ), was a tribal chieftain of the TaÃno people, who were the Indigenous inhabitants of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles at the time of European cont ...
''
Tundama
Tundama or Saymoso (15th century – late December 1539 in Duitama) was a ''cacique'' of the Muisca Confederation, a loose confederation of different rulers of the Muisca who inhabited the central highlands (Altiplano Cundiboyacense) of the Co ...
.
The name of Duitama means "to me the tribute" in muyskkubun (Muisca language). In its beginnings, Duitama corresponded to a Muisca village ruled by the cacique Tundama, a word that changed for Duitama, absolute and powerful lord that he had as bosses tributaries to the Onzaga,
Soatá
Soatá is a town and municipality in Boyacá Department, Colombia. Soatá is located on the western slopes of the Cordillera Oriental mountain range, at the northeast end of the Department of Boyacá. It is the capital of the Northern Boyacá Pr ...
Altiplano Cundiboyacense
The Altiplano Cundiboyacense () is a high plateau located in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes covering parts of the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. (Do not confuse with The Altiplano or the Altiplano Nariñense, both fur ...
is bounded to the north by the department of Santander; Charalá and Encino, to the south by the Boyacá municipalities of
Tibasosa
Tibasosa () is a municipality in the Sugamuxi Province, part of the Colombian department of Boyacá. Tibasosa borders Duitama and Nobsa in the north, Nobsa and Sogamoso in the east, Firavitoba in the south and Paipa in the west.
and
Paipa
Paipa is a town and municipality in the Tundama Province, a part of the Colombian department of Boyacá. Paipa borders Duitama, Firavitoba, Tibasosa, Sotaquirá and Tuta.Santa Rosa de Viterbo and Floresta.
Climate
The elevation of the city is about above sea level and the average temperature is 15 °C.
Duitama's climate is subtropical oceanic highland being cool and overcast over the course of the year. The temperature typically varies from 7 °C (45 °F) to 19 °C (67 °F) and is rarely below 4 °C (39 °F) or above 21 °C (70 °F). Sometimes Duitama has reached sub-zero temperatures such as -2,7 °C (27 °F).
History
Duitama in the times before the Spanish conquest was called Tundama.
Conquest of Duitama
Before the
Spanish conquest
The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It ...
, the Muisca were organized in a loose
Muisca Confederation
The Muisca Confederation was a loose confederation of different Muisca rulers (''zaques'', ''zipas'', ''iraca'', and ''tundama'') in the central Andes, Andean highlands of what is today Colombia before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, Spanis ...
.Muisca Confederation /ref> The confederation was composed of four main political and
religious
Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...
leaders, from south to north; the ''
zipa
When the Spain, Spanish arrived in the central Colombian highlands, the region was organized into the Muisca Confederation, which had two rulers; the ''Zipa'' was the ruler of the southern part and based in Funza, Muyquytá. The ''Zaque'' was the ...
'' based in
Bacatá
Bacatá (Chibcha: or ) is the name given to the main settlement of the Muisca Confederation on the Bogotá savanna. It mostly refers to an area, rather than an individual village, although the name is also found in texts referring to the modern ...
, the ''
zaque
When the Spanish arrived in the central Colombian highlands, the region was organized into the Muisca Confederation, which had two rulers; the ''Zipa'' was the ruler of the southern part and based in Muyquytá. The ''Zaque'' was the ruler of the ...
'' of
Hunza Hunza may refer to:
* Hunza, Iran
* Hunza Valley, an area in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan
** Hunza (princely state), a former principality
** Hunza District, a recently established district
** Hunza River, a waterway
** Hunza Peak, a mo ...
, the ''
iraca
The ''iraca'', sometimes spelled ''iraka'',Ocampo López, 2013, Ch.12, p.77Ocampo López, 2013, Ch.14, p.85 was the ruler and high priest of Sugamuxi in the confederation of the Muisca who inhabited the Altiplano Cundiboyacense; the central high ...
'' of
Sugamuxi
Sugamuxi (died 1539) was the last '' iraca''; ''cacique'' of the sacred City of the Sun Suamox. Sugamuxi, presently called Sogamoso, was an important city in the religion of the Muisca who inhabited the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the times be ...
and the ''
Tundama
Tundama or Saymoso (15th century – late December 1539 in Duitama) was a ''cacique'' of the Muisca Confederation, a loose confederation of different rulers of the Muisca who inhabited the central highlands (Altiplano Cundiboyacense) of the Co ...
'' of Duitama, then called Tundama. Additionally, more independent ''caciques'' governed other villages.
The ''Tundama'' ruled over the villages of Onzaga,
Soatá
Soatá is a town and municipality in Boyacá Department, Colombia. Soatá is located on the western slopes of the Cordillera Oriental mountain range, at the northeast end of the Department of Boyacá. It is the capital of the Northern Boyacá Pr ...
Susacón
Susacón is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Boyacá, part of the subregion of the Northern Boyacá Province. Susacón borders to the north Soatá, in the east Boavita, La Uvita and Jericó, in the south Sativanorte a ...
. The ''Tundama'' lived on the hill currently called ''La Tolosa''.
In 1536, Spanish
conquistador
Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...
Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
coastal city of
Santa Marta
Santa Marta (), officially the Distrito TurÃstico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta (), is a port List of cities in Colombia, city on the coast of the Caribbean Sea in northern Colombia. It is the capital of Magdalena Department and the fou ...
towards the inner highlands of then unexplored Colombia with an army of 800 men. After conquering the southern areas of the Muisca, accessed from the shores of the
Magdalena River
The Magdalena River (, ; less commonly ) is the main river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, ...
he and a reduced number of troops marched towards the northern Muisca territories. He first submitted Hunza, the seat of the ''zaque'' and in September 1537 he arrived in
Sugamuxi
Sugamuxi (died 1539) was the last '' iraca''; ''cacique'' of the sacred City of the Sun Suamox. Sugamuxi, presently called Sogamoso, was an important city in the religion of the Muisca who inhabited the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the times be ...
, sacred City of the Sun where his soldiers burned the
Sun Temple
A sun temple (or solar temple) is a building used for religious or spiritual activities, such as prayer and sacrifice, dedicated to the sun or a solar deity. Such temples were built by a number different cultures and are distributed around th ...
.Biography Cacique Tundama - Pueblos Originarios - Pueblos Originarios
The ''cacique'' Tundama heard about the invading foreigners and tried to win time while hiding his treasures from the Spanish. One of his men proposed to surrender to the soldiers armed with superior weapons, and Tundama cut off his ears and left hand.
At the end of 1539, another Spanish conquistador who proved himself in the
Kingdom of Quito
The Cara or Caranqui culture flourished in coastal Ecuador, in what is now Manabà Province, in the first millennium CE.
History
In the 10th century AD, they followed the Esmeraldas River up to the high Andean valley of Caranqui. They were ofte ...
and
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
,
Baltasar Maldonado
Baltasar Maldonado, also written as Baltazar Maldonado, – Bank of the Republic (Colombia), Banc ...
, entered the Tundama territories and after several battles Tundama surrendered to the Spanish rule. Tundama was killed by a hammer of Maldonado in late December 1539.
Tundama in Muisca history
Colonial period
During the colonial period of the newly established state
New Kingdom of Granada
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
** "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, 1995
* "New" (Daya song), 2017
* "New" (No Doubt song), 1 ...
, Duitama was converted to
catholicism
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
by
friar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...
s of Santo Domingo, arriving in 1556. They held their positions until 1775.
Modern Duitama was not founded until 1819, before
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), also known as Greater Colombia and officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish language, Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and parts of Central ...
from the Spanish rule.
Modern age
Duitama was an agricultural community that grew after the installation of the train station in 1923 and the connection with the Colombian capital via highway. From 1950 onwards the city hosted more industry.
International events
In 1995, Duitama was the second city in Latin America to host the
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and , a UCI Road World Championships ...
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 ...
in 1977.
Tourism
In Duitama the touristic village '' Pueblito Boyacense'' is a popular destination. The village is composed of colonial houses.
Oliverio Rincón
Oliverio Rincón Quintana (born 24 April 1968) is a Colombian former road bicycle racer. He is the older brother of Daniel Rincón.
Major results
;1988
: 4th Overall Clásico RCN
::1st Stage 8
;1989
: 1st Overall Vuelta a Colombia
::1st ...
File:Iglesia La Trinidad, Duitama.jpg, Church La Trinidad
File:La Trinidad.JPG, La Trinidad
File:Iglesia Duitama boy col.jpg, Cathedral of Duitama
File:Interior de la Catedral San Lorenzo de Duitama - Boyacá..jpg, Cathedral interior
File:Pueblito boyacense2.JPG, ''Pueblito Boyacense''
File:Pueblito boyacence Duitama 05.JPG, ''Pueblito Boyacense''
File:Pueblito boyacence Duitama 01.JPG, ''Pueblito Boyacense''