A Day And A Night In Cartagena, Colombia
This past weekend, I traveled to Cartagena, Colombia to attend the opening of Biaci, the first international contemporary art biennial. This biennial was created to showcase Cartagena as a center for the arts, bringing together artists from different countries, whose works are exhibited throughout the city of Cartagena. It is the hope that this will become a wonderful attraction for tourists, as the annual music festival has become. Rich in culture, Cartagena was one of the first cities founded by the Spaniards in South America and was named after Cartagena, Spain. Begun in 1533, this port city is located on the northern Caribbean Coast Region of Colombia. Gold found in the tombs of a previous culture was a major draw to this area. However, that gold was also attractive to pirates and privateers and the area became a frequent plunder site. After several disastrous raids and attacks, it was decided during the 17th century that the city should be fortressed to repel future attacks. The result was a walled-in Cartagena protected by a reinforced bastion, which was never penetrated. During that time, Cartagena became a major trading port for precious metals and also, quite sadly, for African slaves.
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- This is a Colonial doorway, typical of many homes in the old city of Cartagena. Much of the stonework was carved from coral stone.
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- Small cafes abound, often found in the entrance halls of larger food establishments or hotels.
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- Small meals and snacks are offered on handwritten blackboards, changing daily.
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- This Colonial style building in the old city has many fine features and details. Quite often one sees vestiges of colorful paint.
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- At night the city comes alive with light. Domes and facades are beautifully illuminated and many fine details become evident.
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- Giant trees, palms, and flowering vines add color and delicacy to the city landscape. There are many plazas where townsfolk and tourists can sit and cool down in the shade.
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- The dome of the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint Catherine of Alexandri is ablaze with light. Completed in 1612, it is a major landmark in the city.
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- The great mansions are being rebuilt with many modern conveniences, such as pools, hot tubs, etc.
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- A closer view of that vertical garden – It is well-installed and beautifully manicured.
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- The Vera Restaurant is in this hotel and we had a great lunch there.
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- The great courtyard is part of the Casa Tcherassi Hotel & Spa. The exterior is painted bright white and the courtyard has an amazing vertical garden and modern Colombian furniture.
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- Silvia Tcherassi designs amazing clothing, as well as contemporary interiors and furniture. This slab table is exemplary of her furnishings.
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- A Sunday morning hike took us all around the city. The streets were barren, but it was cool enough to walk comfortably.
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- Many buildings are being wonderfully restored. The original architecture is respected and the stone doorways are cherished. Real estate, in recent years, has sky rocketed!
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- I love the terracotta color of this hotel, the coral stone entrance, and the bright ocher contrasting paint.
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- Many building are being painted light colors, which enhances the wood, the stone, and the tile roofs.
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- The hotel plaque
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- This is Teatro Heredia, one of many theaters in Cartagena, which is a sophisticated and well-designed town.
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- This is a street of private homes. One has no idea how vast the houses are behind closed doors.
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- We went to visit the old Getsemaní section of Cartagena, where homes are painted with very bold colors. There is also famous graffiti everywhere and other art on walls.
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- Another beautifully painted facade – probably a government building
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- The interior of a cathedral with Spanish architecture and a coral stone altar
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- A group of American students from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy had just completed a tour of the sea and were celebrating in Cartagena. They recognized me and asked for photo.
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- One with the flash! I’m wearing a fabulous necklace designed by Silvia Tcherassi.
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- We were entertained at a gala for the art fair on a rooftop with a spectacular view of city.
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- This is actually part of the ancient city wall. The view is extraordinary. The building on the left is the new convention center and beyond is the new city. The ocean is to the right.
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- This is the back wall of one of the hotels with its open air balconies.
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- Many civic buildings are used to display art and culture. The courtyards are beautiful with giant royal palm trees.
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- This is a black and white marble and mahogany staircase, which is steep and quite handsome.
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- Fortress doorways which slide into place did a fine job of keeping out invaders.
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- The impenetrable doors are decorated with large metal studs and a giant knocker.
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- This is one of the fancy mansions of Cartagena, embellished with bougainvillea and with much security on the street.
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- This is the door knocker where I stayed.
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- This is a vast courtyard looking at the old jail, which is now a collection of tourist shops.
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- This is the view of the cathedral taken from a friend’s rooftop.
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- Looking down a small airspace into tropical garden below
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- A beautiful luscious vine completely covered the courtyard of this house.
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- This wall is the interior atrium of a mansion.
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- Soaring royal palms grow right in the midst of well-furnished atriums. I was lucky to see several of these elaborate mansions and to see various restoration processes.
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