History of Guaduas

In 1696, Guadas became a parish seat, thanks to a charter from King Charles II. The convent was closed around 1805. In 1809 Fray Domingo de Petres, a Capuchin architect who also directed the construction of the Cathedral of Bogotá, began building a church in the village. The original convent building was subsequently transformed into a prison by order of the Congress of Cucuta.

Guaduas was a center of botanical experimentation, which included the introduction of níspero trees from the West Indies in the late 18th century. The crop is now widely cultivated in the region.