Matagalpa

Matagalpa lies in the hills of north-central Nicaragua, in the homeland of the indigenous people who share its name. The town grew from several indigenous communities, including Pueblo Grande, Solingalpa and Molagüina. Its highland setting contrasts with the volcanic plains to the west.

In 1525 Matagalpa people fought Spanish forces attempting to enter their territory. Missionaries began work in the Sébaco area and surrounding mountains in the sixteenth century. An agreement with the Spanish was said to guarantee that those accepting baptism would not be removed from their lands and that soldiers would not enter their settlements. Colonial records of 1581 listed Matagalpa and its associated communities as tributary towns, recording seventy-five tributaries in the principal settlement and its two associated communities.

The later city of Juigalpa also lies here.