Amaga

Amagá lies in a mountain valley southwest of Medellín. Before the Spanish conquest, Omogaes and Sinifanaes communities inhabited the valley. Spanish expeditions named it the Valley of Pears after encountering avocados and guavas. Settlement later spread from Medellín through land claims, clearing, and haciendas.

The valley remained rural: dispersed farms used the slopes for food crops, fruit, and fuel. Coal-bearing strata were known early, but settlement depended chiefly on agriculture and markets.

On 4 August 1788, Antonio Mon y Velarde approved Miguel Pérez de la Calle’s petition to found a town. A donated site provided land for a plaza, church, jail, and eight residential blocks. The town was named San Fernando de Borbón. Migration increased after harvest failures in 1808, and Amagá became a district in 1812.

Its position between Medellín and the southwestern settlements made Amagá a local administrative and agricultural centre. Coal and iron deposits later supported industry, though the first large ironworks appeared after the period. In 1837 it remained a parish and district supported by fields, orchards, and roads.