Turismo

COLONIAL
AND MODERN
CITIES
During the three hundred years or more of the colonial period, the Spanish presence
manifested itself in all the activities of daily life. Now, Honduras is the country with the
second highest tangible colonial heritage in Central America.
Gracias, in the department of Lempira, was the first colonial city of the country. Due to the
abundant natural resources of the region, in 1544 it was proclaimed the first capital during
the colony. It is a city of cobbled streets, home to many historic buildings, churches and a
19th century fortress called the Fort of San Cristobal. The structure was built for the military
defense of the city, and one of the highlights found there is the tomb of the Honduran ruler
Juan Lindo. Just a few kilometers from the Fort and the city of Gracias, the visitor finds
relaxing hot springs and other smaller cities with extraordinary churches from the 16th and
17th centuries that represent the fusion of the Lenca culture with the Spanish colonial
culture.
Comayagua, the most colonial city in Honduras, is located in the productive Comayagua
Valley, in central Honduras. It was the capital during the colony, of the Central American
Federation, during the annexation to the Mexican Empire, and of the independent republic
until 1880. The city offers beautiful churches, mainly Baroque with artistic value, with
outstanding altarpieces and valuable images. Its cathedral, dedicated to the Immaculate
Conception, is the most important, with a detailed façade above the square and a tower that
holds one of the oldest working clocks in America, made in 1100. The San Francisco church
and convent, where you can appreciate the oldest bell in America (1460), is popular, as well
as La Caridad Church, where the remains of the only Indian Church of Honduras are still
found. In addition to the religious art and pre-Columbian pieces of its museums, during the
Easter holiday you can see the streets of the historical center of Comayagua 'carpeted' with
colorful sawdust in beautiful designs as a pathway for the processions.
DIRECTORIO ORQUÍDEA EMPRESARIAL 2017
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