La Candelaria is the historic neighborhood at the center of which South American capital? Bogotá.
La Candelaria is the historic downtown locality of Bogotá, Colombia, and includes the city’s original colonial core. Its narrow streets, colorful façades and Spanish Colonial, Baroque and art deco buildings reflect Bogotá’s development from a 16th-century settlement into Colombia’s political and cultural center.
The area is closely associated with Bogotá’s founding. Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada established an early Spanish settlement on August 6, 1538, near what is now Chorro de Quevedo; the formal foundation followed in April 1539 at today’s Plaza de Bolívar. The district later became a center for government, churches, museums and universities.
The name comes from the colonial Church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria. Visitors often confuse La Candelaria with La Calera, a separate municipality near Bogotá, or assume it is an independent city. It is actually Bogotá’s 17th locality and forms part of the capital’s historic center. Major landmarks include the Primatial Cathedral, the Capitolio Nacional and the Museo Botero.