The Past of Medellin

THE PAST OF MEDELLÍN

The city of Medellín is located in the Valley of Aburra, called after an aborigin tribe that lived there, but this one was not the only clan because they shared the land with the Nutabes, Niquias and Yamesies.

The estimations are that the Spanish found the valley 50 years after the discovery of America by Cristoforo Colombo in the year 1.492 when he landed in the Bahamas. In the year 1.541 an expedition comanded by Jeronimo Luis Tejelo conquered the valley, moment in which begins to take shape the future city of Medellin.

The 2nd of March of 1.616 the city of Medellin is officially founded with the name San Lorenzo de Aburra, where today is located the Poblado Park. For it’s strategic location for commercial development, the town starts to gain prominence and it’s in 1.675 when Don Francisco Herrera Campuzano raises a requirement to the kingdom of Spain to go up the town category. This request is answered by the Queen Mariana of Austria on november the 2^nd of the same year, giving the status of Villa and changing the name to Nueva Villa Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria de Medellín. Then only would survive the name of Medellin in honor of Don Pedro Porto Carrero, Count of Medellin of Extremadura in Spain, whoever President of the Council of the Indies and had an active participation in the recongition as Villa the future city of Medellin.

Over time Medellín, for its strategic position to unite the cities of Santa Fe de Antioquia with Rionegro, started to grow rapidly and began to have economic dominance until in the year 1.816 the city is named the capital of Antioquia, so it also becomes the center of political power in the region

In the late XIX century the city would begin to stand out in the processes of economic y political growth through the construction of infraestructure, creation of financial services and the revitalization of politics with the arrival of a number of writers and thinkers of the time.

With all this non planed growth, the city is plunged into a chaos related to urban planning and development. The public administration tries to make various political an govermmental efforts, but non of them has a impact in the distribution of the demographic growth and land occupation, which leads to a lack in the provision of public services and infraestructure.

During the FWW (First World War) America went through a process of import substitutions which lead to an industrial development in some regions of the continent. Medellin was one of the first cities to starts an industrialization process and it was no long time until was stablished as one of the most important textile manufacture of the new continent. In Medellin, also was born one of the first industrial union of the nation, which have no much longer life, but laid the foundation for the organizations of the new era industries.

For this reason, the city emerged as center of economic and political power of the nation, which allowed their entrepreneurs gain the prestige of ethics, reliability and flexible structures when doing business that the antioquians have. The development of Medellin was also favored by the proximity to water sources and the fact that the railroad passed through the valley, among other factors.

In the early 70’s Medellin was hit hard by the war connected with drug trafficking mafias, sparking an escalation of violence and led to a delay in social, political and cultural city development. In the 80’s the state decided to step in and prosecute the drug cartels. This event led to attacks on civil society and some companies that represented the status quo at that time.

After this dark period in the history of the city, and perhaps because of it, through a join effort between public and private sector, began the fast recovery of the city in terms of infrastructure, utilities, transportation, education and social inclusion and development of a bourgeoning middle class, entrepreneurs capability and the generation of new technologies that have led to the raise of the town in which is submerged this days.

We encourage you to read the article about the present of the city, which is in the next subcategory.