The Plaza de San Diego in Cartagena de Indias, is located in the San Diego neighborhood, inside of the historic center of the heroic.
History of the Plaza de San Diego
In 1571 it got the name Plaza de Bahamón, because in its surroundings the then Governor Francisco Bahamón de Lugo cultivated an orchard of fruit trees, this fact caused people to start calling the place “Plaza de Bahamón”.
(Also know: History of the Plaza Fernández Madrid in Cartagena)
Upon completion of the construction work of the Convent of San Diego The square officially takes the name of the cloister as “Plaza de San Diego”; After the triumph of Colombian weapons in Ayacucho, the municipality gave it the name “Plaza de Sucre” in honor of the brave Marshal Antonio José de Sucre; Later it was renamed “Plaza del Trabajo”; However, none of the names given after “Plaza de San Diego” were popular and due to the custom of the people of Cartagena to call it by this name, it was baptized with this one.
Sculpture to Adolfo Mejía
On November 4, 2006, the sculpture of the Maestro and musical genius was inaugurated in the Plaza de San Diego. Adolfo Mejía Navarro, illustrious son of Sucre and prominent musical artist, the sculpture was made by the sculptor Hernando Pereira Brieva.
The sculpture was ordered to be made by the Bolívar School of Fine Arts (Unibac), it was made of bronze and weighs around 200 Kilos.
Where is the Plaza de San Diego located?
The Plaza de San Diego is located in the walled center of La Heroica, in the San Diego neighborhood in front of the Unibac.
The square is very close to the house that belonged to the Nobel Prize in Literature Gabriel Garcia Marquez and to the old cloister of Santa Clara (Today Hotel de Santa Clara); One of the most fun plans to do in this square is to enjoy the shows that local artists present daily. It is worth remembering that the Bolívar School of Fine Arts is today located in the old cloister of San Diego, which is why this square has a bohemian atmosphere full of students from different artistic disciplines that liven up this place.
(Get to know the Plaza de Santo Domingo in Cartagena and the beautiful Gorda de Botero)
The Plaza de San Diego is today one of the points of greatest tourist attraction in Cartagena due to the refreshing bohemian atmosphere, the local craft markets and the great gastronomic offer that surrounds the square, in these places you can find a varied local gastronomic sample and from several countries, it is easy to find everything from the typical Cartagena fried foods, coastal ceviches to Japanese, Peruvian, Cuban food, etc. and even “Pubs” with very pleasant environments to have a cold beer and have a good time.
About the Sculptor Hernando Pereira Brieva
Hernando Pereira Brieva He is a Colombian Sculptor and Painter, studied Fine Arts in 1972 and studied Architecture and advertising art at the Javeriana University; He has taught at various universities in Bogotá and Cartagena, and has been in charge of the creation of important sculptures and busts in Colombia.
