Ebejico

Ebéjico is associated with the early Spanish foundations of Antioquia in the western Colombian Andes. In 1541 Jorge Robledo founded a city called Antioquia in the Ebéjico valley, among Indigenous communities whose lands were invaded by the expedition. The original settlement was moved, while another town called Santa Fe grew on the Tonusco River. The history of the two foundations later became intertwined.

Santa Fe acquired the title and privileges of the earlier city of Antioquia by the end of the sixteenth century and became the capital of the province. Gold mining, agriculture and commerce linked it to the Cauca valley and the surrounding mountains. In 1826 the provincial capital moved to Medellín, ending Santa Fe’s long administrative primacy. Its colonial churches and houses recall its role in the early history of Antioquia.