City of the Caesars
Encyclopedia
The City of the Caesars (Spanish
Ciudad de los Césares), also variously known as City of the Patagonia, Wandering City, Trapalanda or Trapananda, Lin Lin or Elelín, is a mythical city
of South America
. It is supposedly located somewhere in Patagonia
, in some valley of the Andes
between Chile
and Argentina
. Despite being searched for during the colonization of South America
, no evidence proves that it ever existed. In 1766, the Jesuit Father José García Alsue explored the area now part of Queulat National Park
in Aisén Region, Chile searching for the City of the Caesars.
of a Spanish
ship, and full of riches such as gold and silver. The alleged inhabitants of the city have been described as consisting of people of European descent who shipwrecked in the Strait of Magellan
, survivors in exile of the Disaster of Curalaba
, survivors of the Inca Empire
, ghost
s and Patagonian giants.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
Ciudad de los Césares), also variously known as City of the Patagonia, Wandering City, Trapalanda or Trapananda, Lin Lin or Elelín, is a mythical city
Mythical place
Places which appear in mythology, folklore or religious texts or tradition, but which are not probably genuine places, include:...
of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It is supposedly located somewhere in Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
, in some valley of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
between Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Despite being searched for during the colonization of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, no evidence proves that it ever existed. In 1766, the Jesuit Father José García Alsue explored the area now part of Queulat National Park
Queulat National Park
Queulat National Park is a national park of Chile located in the Aisén Region. The park is bordered by the Cisnes River on the south side and is neighbor to Lago Rosselot National Reserve...
in Aisén Region, Chile searching for the City of the Caesars.
Myth
Most of the descriptions of the city talk about the city as a prosperous and rich city full of gold, silver and diamonds. At least one description, also says it was located in between two mountains, one of gold and another of diamonds. Sometimes it is described as an enchanted city that appears in certain moments. Said to have been founded by survivors from the shipwreckShipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
of a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
ship, and full of riches such as gold and silver. The alleged inhabitants of the city have been described as consisting of people of European descent who shipwrecked in the Strait of Magellan
Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...
, survivors in exile of the Disaster of Curalaba
Disaster of Curalaba
The Disaster of Curalaba is the name given to a battle between Spanish conquerors led by Martín García Óñez de Loyola and Mapuche people led by Pelantaru on a place called Curalaba , in southern Chile...
, survivors of the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
, ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
s and Patagonian giants.
See also
- City of GoldCity of Gold-Myth and legend:*Quivira and Cíbola, two of the mythical seven Cities of Gold*El Dorado, Mythical city of gold**El Dorado *City of the Caesars, Mythical South American city of great wealth...
- El DoradoEl DoradoEl Dorado is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into a highland lake.Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated – and so far eluded – explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors...
- Quivira and CíbolaQuivira and CíbolaQuivira is a place first mentioned by Francisco Vazquez de Coronado in 1541, who visited it during his searches for the mythical "Seven Cities of Gold". The location and identity of the "Quivirans" has been much debated over a wide area, including Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri...
- Sierra del PlataSierra del PlataSierra de la Plata , was a legendary treasury of silver that was believed to be located in South America. The legend probably originated when the European survivors of a shipwreck were given abundant gifts of silver by the native peoples.In the early 16th century, the estuary of the Uruguay and...