Old Valledupar began as a land inhabited by the tribe Chimila. The highest authority of that indigenous people was the ‘Chief Upar‘. The city’s name is derived from the valleys that cluster around the mountains and help surround this area and also in honor of the Chief Uparwho was the highest ranking member of the tribe.
Initially, more than 400 years ago, it was called ‘Valle de Upar‘. Over time it was simplified to Valledupar. Historians comment that the governor of Santa MartaCartagena and other cities, Miguel Díaz, after the death of Rodrigo de Bastidasappointed in his replacement Hernando de Santana, who led the founding of Valledupar.
FOUNDATION
On January 6, 1550, by order of the licentiate Miguel Diez de ArmendárizCaptain Hernando de Santana founded the city of the Kings of the Upar Valley. As the founding date coincides with the celebration of the Holy Kings, they began to apply the pseudonym ‘City of the Holy Kings’.
When they founded the city they built the Church of the Kings in the same place where the first Catholic church was, that is, in the place where the Municipal Council is today, and where the ceremonial temple of the Chief Upar. The first priest was Francisco Matheus, who had come from Coro, Venezuela.
Recommended: Cacique Upar and Hernando de Santana, figures in the history of Valledupar
The City of the Kings It is born with nine blocks divided inside in the shape of a cross by two paths. This was the first spatial division, similar to the city block. Purrututú; Through these two little paths that were in the center of the block, the cows entered to be milked in the patios of the houses, which were very large.
In each block, divided into 4 parts, there was only one house on each corner that counted with a very large patio where the cows and goats were milked, they also had their chickens and their pigs; These patios were like small farms.
Recommended: First and second Spanish foundation of Valledupar
GROWTH
In the middle of the square, when a city was founded, they buried a round trunk with a tall cross on top, this was the symbol of the king’s authority. There they tied up the disobedient and whipped them, it was like a humiliation or public pillory. In Valledupar, In the middle of the square, at that time, there was a pole of jobo or sour plum. The Spanish decided to declare the tree as a pillory or humiliation.
For the year 1710, according to notarized records, the population of Valledupar It remained at an average of 1,500 to 2,000 people. A fairly considerable amount for those years. The historian Tomás Darío Gutiérrez, assures that Valledupar It was one of the first provinces to proclaim the cry of independence.
For the year 1932, Valledupar only had two neighborhoods, Cañahuate and Los Cerezos, in addition to a small sector of the center. By then the population of the city is estimated between 5,000 to 10,000 inhabitants. It currently exceeds 530,000 inhabitants.
This January 6, 2024, Valledupar celebrates 474 years since its foundation with great challenges and advances. The world capital of vallenato is recognized worldwide for its musical and artistic culture.
