Before Spanish conquerors arrived to the valley where Cartago is actually located, Huetar indigenous populated the area. Those tribes where the Curriraba, Quercó, Coo or Aco, Istaró, Uxarraci, Abituri, Turichiqui, Turrialba la Grande, Turrialba la Chica, Tobosi, Ebuxebux, Teotique, Parragua, among others less prominent.
In 1568, the Spanish conqueror, Juan Vázquez de Coronado moved the city of Garcimuñoz to the Guarco Valley, under the name of Nueva Cartago. By doing this he created the first Spanish settlement in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Several years later, another conqueror by the name of Perafán de Ribera y Gómez moved the city to a place called Mata Redonda where the rivers Tiribí and Damas are joined together. Finally, Alonso Anguciana de Gamboa moved the city to its actual location.
In 1748 the church of Orosi was built. It was the second catholic church built in Costa Rica by the Spanish. The first one was built in 1575 in the Ujarrás Valley, wich was abandoned because of the constant floods and pestilence periods. Its ruins still stand, they were declared National Monument and have become a major tourist attraction pole. |
