Gualaceo
Encyclopedia
Gualaceo nicknamed "El Jardin Del Azuay" (The Garden of Azuay
), is a canton (territorial subdivision) in the south-central region of Ecuador
. It belongs to Azuay Province
, Ecuador
. Its population is 42.000 inhabitants according to the official website visitagualaceo.com.
The origin of its name is debatable some historians affirm that the name comes from the Chibcha word “gualaca” meaning macaw
’s settlement while others state that it was named after a mythological Cañari Indian named Gualaco or Gualaca, but both coincide in its meaning “macaw’s settlement”.
cordillera
, and about 20 miles east of the province capital Cuenca
; its altitude
is 2.449 meters. The valley
of Gualaceo is crossed by the Santa Barbara River and its 3 smaller tributaries the San Francisco, San Jose y Guaymincay, creating a beautiful riverfront scenery; their waters are still clean enough that swimmers can be observed virtually every day.
Gualaceo is surrounded by mountains 3,500 meters tall, offering hikers and bikers many recreational possibilities.
The city of Gualaceo is the capital of the canton and is located in the valley of the same name; there are 5 high schools and about 7 elementary schools, there is also a branch of the University of Loja and another of Alfredo Perez University.
The economic income for the canton comes from tourism, handcrafts, construction and commerce, but the main economic source is the money that emigrants living in the United States
and Europe
send every year keeping the canton economically above its neighbors.
In the year of 1531 - 1532, the Inca Empire
of Tahuantinsuyo arrives to its end, with the death of the last monarch Atahualpa
, in the hands of the conquerors that came from the old world, Sebastián de Benalcázar with its presence marks the start of the Spanish colonization.
With the arrival of the Spaniards begins the phase of the colony. The conquerors get to all the corners of the Kingdom of Quito, and Sebastián of Banalcázar assisted by the cacique
s (overlords) Llivicura (Gualaceo) and Duma (Sigsig) and other cañaris, they explored the valley of the Tomebamba and they rose for the slopes of Dotaxí, Cristo Rey and they arrived to Gualaceo, marvelous place by their landscapes and rivers that hallucinated for the shine of gold.
This happened in the month of April of 1534, in which Benalcázar raises with their troop the first camp of mining settlement at the edges of the wider river, which is named Santa Barbara, Benalcázar also named the tributaries San Francisco and San José while the other 2 tributaries still conserve their cañari name: Guaymincay and Shío.
The Spaniards remained in the valley of Gualaceo for many years, since 1534 until 1549 does not exist documents that describe Gualaceo as an organized population, but was a mining camp.
210 years since the first mining settlement passed, until July, 1757 where Gualaceo is elevated to ecclesiastical parish
of Cuenca
, governed by a party judge lieutenant Manuél Dávila Chica and its vicar José Villavicencio.
Manuel Dávila Chica, in his quality of leader of that region contributed for the independence of Cuenca
, with men, horses, wood of cedar and walnut and food.
The Independence of Cuenca
and the whole Ecuador
leads to the republican life, in the first instance belonging to the Great Colombia with the Departments of Venezuela, Cundinamarca and Quito.
In 1824 the Congress of Colombia
proclaims the department of Azuay conformed by the provinces of Cuenca, Loja and Jaén of Bracamoros & Mainas.
The Cantons of the province of Cuenca are: Cuenca, Gualaceo, Cañar and Girón. This pronouncement was sanctioned by Francisco of Paula Santander president responsible for Colombia on June 25, 1824. Date in which is considered Gualaceo was declared canton.
Azuay Province
Azuay is a province of Ecuador, created 25 June 1824. It encompasses an area of . Its capital is Cuenca. It is located in the south center of Ecuador in the highlands. Its mountains reach above sea level in the national park of El Cajas....
), is a canton (territorial subdivision) in the south-central region of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. It belongs to Azuay Province
Azuay Province
Azuay is a province of Ecuador, created 25 June 1824. It encompasses an area of . Its capital is Cuenca. It is located in the south center of Ecuador in the highlands. Its mountains reach above sea level in the national park of El Cajas....
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. Its population is 42.000 inhabitants according to the official website visitagualaceo.com.
The origin of its name is debatable some historians affirm that the name comes from the Chibcha word “gualaca” meaning macaw
Macaw
Macaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca...
’s settlement while others state that it was named after a mythological Cañari Indian named Gualaco or Gualaca, but both coincide in its meaning “macaw’s settlement”.
Overview
Gualaceo is a sizable town located in a valley in the southeast of the Ecuadorian AndesAndes
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...
cordillera
Cordillera
A cordillera is an extensive chain of mountains or mountain ranges, that runs along a coastline . It comes from the Spanish word cordilla, which is a diminutive of cuerda, or "cord"...
, and about 20 miles east of the province capital Cuenca
Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level...
; its altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
is 2.449 meters. The valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
of Gualaceo is crossed by the Santa Barbara River and its 3 smaller tributaries the San Francisco, San Jose y Guaymincay, creating a beautiful riverfront scenery; their waters are still clean enough that swimmers can be observed virtually every day.
Gualaceo is surrounded by mountains 3,500 meters tall, offering hikers and bikers many recreational possibilities.
The city of Gualaceo is the capital of the canton and is located in the valley of the same name; there are 5 high schools and about 7 elementary schools, there is also a branch of the University of Loja and another of Alfredo Perez University.
The economic income for the canton comes from tourism, handcrafts, construction and commerce, but the main economic source is the money that emigrants living in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
send every year keeping the canton economically above its neighbors.
History
Its history goes back to the etymology of its name "GUALACEO", a cañari word modified from the Chibcha word Gualaca meaning “macaw’s settlement”, it was a Cañari settlement for long time, belonging to the Kingdom of Quito until it was conquered by the Incas.In the year of 1531 - 1532, 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...
of Tahuantinsuyo arrives to its end, with the death of the last monarch Atahualpa
Atahualpa
Atahualpa, Atahuallpa, Atabalipa, or Atawallpa , was the last Sapa Inca or sovereign emperor of the Tahuantinsuyu, or the Inca Empire, prior to the Spanish conquest of Peru...
, in the hands of the conquerors that came from the old world, Sebastián de Benalcázar with its presence marks the start of the Spanish colonization.
With the arrival of the Spaniards begins the phase of the colony. The conquerors get to all the corners of the Kingdom of Quito, and Sebastián of Banalcázar assisted by the cacique
Cacique
Cacique is a title derived from the Taíno word for the pre-Columbian chiefs or leaders of tribes in the Bahamas, Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles...
s (overlords) Llivicura (Gualaceo) and Duma (Sigsig) and other cañaris, they explored the valley of the Tomebamba and they rose for the slopes of Dotaxí, Cristo Rey and they arrived to Gualaceo, marvelous place by their landscapes and rivers that hallucinated for the shine of gold.
This happened in the month of April of 1534, in which Benalcázar raises with their troop the first camp of mining settlement at the edges of the wider river, which is named Santa Barbara, Benalcázar also named the tributaries San Francisco and San José while the other 2 tributaries still conserve their cañari name: Guaymincay and Shío.
The Spaniards remained in the valley of Gualaceo for many years, since 1534 until 1549 does not exist documents that describe Gualaceo as an organized population, but was a mining camp.
210 years since the first mining settlement passed, until July, 1757 where Gualaceo is elevated to ecclesiastical parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Cuenca
Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level...
, governed by a party judge lieutenant Manuél Dávila Chica and its vicar José Villavicencio.
Manuel Dávila Chica, in his quality of leader of that region contributed for the independence of Cuenca
Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level...
, with men, horses, wood of cedar and walnut and food.
The Independence of Cuenca
Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level...
and the whole Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
leads to the republican life, in the first instance belonging to the Great Colombia with the Departments of Venezuela, Cundinamarca and Quito.
In 1824 the Congress of Colombia
Congress of Colombia
The Congress of the Republic of Colombia is the name given to Colombia's bicameral national legislature.The Congress of Colombia consists of the 102-seat Senate , and the 166-seat Chamber of Representatives ...
proclaims the department of Azuay conformed by the provinces of Cuenca, Loja and Jaén of Bracamoros & Mainas.
The Cantons of the province of Cuenca are: Cuenca, Gualaceo, Cañar and Girón. This pronouncement was sanctioned by Francisco of Paula Santander president responsible for Colombia on June 25, 1824. Date in which is considered Gualaceo was declared canton.