HOTEL PORTÓN DE OCETÁ

 

In the year 1555, the missionaries Montemayor and Durán arrived at the valley of Sanoas, which was inhabited at the time by several indigenous tribes: the Tutasá, the Tirem, the Teguas, and the Sanoas. These original inhabitants were peaceful in nature and their population declined soon after the Spaniards came. The settlement began as a reservation in 1596, and the town of Monguí was officially founded on December 31, 1601 by Alonso Domínguez Medellín. This is when the street plan of Monguí was laid out, with its calles and carreras and central plaza measuring 80 varas (approximantely 220 feet) per side. In 1636, a representative of the Spanish Crown named Martín Niño upgraded the status of the village to a municipio. During the colonial period, Monguí was one of the principal centers for the study of Catholic doctorine due to its Franciscan monastery and temple.

 

On December 8, 1980, our town was elected as the most beautiful village in the whole region of Boyacá.

 

Around the years 1557-1558, the indigenous leaders of Monguí and neighboring Sogamoso traveled to Spain to meet King Phillip II. In return, the monarch had two paintings made for them: one of Saint Martin of Tours for the chief of Monguí, and another of the Sacred Family fleeing to Egypt for the chief of Sogamoso. When they had returned home, the chiefs opened up their respective crates and were surprised to find that the paintings had been switched (the painting of the Sacred Family was in that of the chief of Monguí, and the one of San Martín was in the chief of Sogamoso's crate). Finally they decided to leave the painting of the Sacred Family in Monguí, and this icon became the Virgin of Monguí.

 

This little vale, nestled among the foothills of the easternmost branch of the Andes range, is 2,880 meters (9,450 feet) above sea level, has a year-round averge temperature of 12 degrees centigrade (54 Fahrenheit), is 80 square kilometers in area, and has a population of 5,000. It is located in the province of Sugamuxi, 93 kilometers from the capital of Boyacá.