...AND ALL AROUND THE RIVER FLOWS: MOMPOX (COLOMBIA)

Santa Cruz de Mompox (also called Mompos or simply Mompox), located in the swampy inland tropics of northern Colombia’s Bolívar Department, was founded about 1539 on the Magdalena River, the country’s principal waterway. Mompox was of great logistical and commercial importance, as substantial traffic between the port of Cartagena and the interior travelled along the river. It consequently played a key role in the Spanish colonization of northern South America, forming an integral part of the processes of colonial penetration and dominion during the Spanish conquest and of the growth of communications and commerce during the 17th to early 19th centuries. The city developed parallel to the river, its sinuous main street growing freely and longitudinally along the river bank, on which barricade walls (albarradas) were built to protect the city during periods of flooding. Instead of the central plaza typical of most Spanish settlements, Mompox has three plazas lined up along the river, each with its own church and each corresponding to a former Indian settlement. Most of the buildings in its 458-ha historic centre are in a remarkable state of conservation and still used for their original purposes, thus preserving an exceptional illustration of a Spanish riverine settlement. The historic centre has preserved the harmony and unity of the urban landscape. Most of the buildings are still used for their original purposes, providing an exceptional picture of what a Spanish colonial city was like.The historic centre of Santa Cruz de Mompox’s identity as a Spanish colonial river port defines the unique and singular character of its monumental and domestic architecture. Mompox is part of Colombia’s cultural, religious, colonial and historical heritage. It has also been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. From the 17th century onwards, houses were built on the Calle de La Albarrada with the ground floors given over to small shops. These “house-store” buildings are built in rows of between three and ten units. Significant in their contribution to the townscape are the open hallways across the front facades that share a common roof. The private houses of the 17th to early 19th centuries are laid out around a central or lateral open space, creating linked environments adapted to the climate and reflecting local customs. The earliest type of house for merchants or Crown servants has a central courtyard; there is often a secondary courtyard for services attached to the back of the building. Most of the houses retain important features such as decorated portals and interiors, balconies and galleries. The special circumstances of the development of the city along the river have given it a quality with few parallels in this region. Its economic decline in the 19th century conferred a further dimension on this quality, preserving it and making it the region’s most outstanding surviving example of this type of riverine urban settlement. Mompox greatest architectural attraction is the Santa Bárbara Church, built in 1630. It has a showy baroque tower that recreates the legend of the "saint" after whom it is named. Another popular place among visitors is the Municipal Cemetery; other than its unparalleled beauty, the place also holds the remains of Mompox local Candelario Obeso, one of the fathers of black poetry in the Americas. Other attractions include the Municipal Palace, the Religious Art Museum, St. Francis Church and Convent, Marquise Portals House, St. John of God Church, St. Augustine Church, and the Immaculate Conception Church. Overall, more and more tourists visit Mompox to get beautiful filigree handcrafts (the municipality’s characteristic goldsmith technique), and to get lost in the magic of the Colombian Caribbean.  Carlos Vives chose Mompox to film the music video for La foto de los dos, a song included in his newest album (Corazón Profundo). The artist expressed how happy he was to go back to the place where he started his career as an actor.