'Chía' is a town and municipality in the
Cundinamarca department of
Colombia, located to the north of
Bogotá on the main road to
Zipaquira. Its history dates back to the
pre-Columbian era. The name comes from the
Chibchan language and means "moon" or "month".
Due to its proximity to Bogotá (20 km), Chía has effectively become a dormitory suburb of the capital. It is also home of the
Universidad de la Sabana.
The municipality of Chía is limited to the south by the Capital District of Bogotá and the municipality of
Cota; to the West by
Tenjo and
Tabio; by the North limited with
Cajicá and
Sopó; the East with Municipality of Sopó.
History
Chía was a
Muisca settlement in the pre-Columbian era. In
1537 the Spanish, under the command of
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, took possession of the town.
In
1781, during the
Revolt of the Comuneros, the march of the insurgents towards Bogotá stopped near Chía in order to cross the
Bogotá River, in what is now known as the Bridge of the Common (
Spanish: ''Puente del Común''). At that site the viceroy signed a series of concessions to the rebels. However, once the rebel group had dispersed, the viceroy declared the concessions invalid for having been signed "under pressure".
Sites of interest
★ Marroquín Castle
★ Hacienda Yerbabuena
★ Common Bridge
★ Chía Mall (Centro-Chía)
External links
★
Chía: Ciudad de la luna Colombia tourism site
★
Official site of the Chía city council
★
: FOTW: Flag and Coat of Arms of Chia