July 25: Sebastian de Belalcazar in search of “El Dorado” founded the city of Santiago de Cali, today in Colombia, in 1536.

El Dorado: An imaginary discovery

Sebastian de Belalcazar came to Darien and Nicaragua in the Third Voyage of Christopher Columbus in 1498. Later he met the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro who invited him to conquer and slaughter the Incas of Peru, in today South America.

El dorado. Fabled City of Gold

After founding the city of Quito, in Ecuador, in 1534, Belalcazar went north in search of “El Dorado” that was already part of the dream of the greedy conquerors. In this adventure he founded Pasto, and Popayan, in today Colombia.

Depiction of the Legend of El Dorado, published in El Museo del Oro; 1923-1948, Banco de la Republica, 1948.

On July 25, 1536, Sebastian de Belalcazar founded the city of Santiago de Cali, on the edge of the Cauca River, and participated in the celebration of a Catholic Mass in founding what is now the Church of La Merced. Pedro de Ayala was named as the first municipal authority, in Cali, which depended on Popayan, which in turn belonged to the Royal Audience of Quito.

Muisca goldsmiths

El Dorado is a legendary kingdom or city, supposedly located in the territory of the old Viceroyalty of New Granada, in an area where it was believed that there were abundant gold mines in the thereabouts of actual Bogota, capital of Colombia.

Muisca raft (1200–1500 CE), representation of the initiation of the new Zipa in the lake of Guatavita

King Carlos I of Spain granted the title of governor of Popayan to Belalcazar and the honorary title of "Advanced", in May 1540. The title of "Advanced" was also honorary; in fact, it did qualify for governor and judge as well, leaving the area outside the hearings of Viceroyalties. Arbitrarianism!