History of Villa de Leyva

The abundance of life in these seas primitive is what explains the geological and paleontological richness of this land. The now ancient fossilized marine life around is reflected by the continuous discovery of fossil variety of the most important parts one Kronosaurus 115 million years old, found in 1945, an ichthyosaur from 110 to 115 million years. In recent years we have discovered three new pliosaurs 130 million years old.

Pre-Columbian era

Human presence in the region can be dated from 12,000 years BC In the sixteenth century Zaquencipá The valley was part of the territory of the Muisca , who occupied the Cundiboyacense. ( Cundinamarca , Boyacá and Santander ) in an area of 30,000 km ². , Language was the Chibcha. They grew corn, beans, potatoes, vegetables, tubers, tomato, avocado and others. Muisca trails are in the area as Zaquencipá Observatory, the pictographs of Sáchica, Iguaque, and others, as well as valuable examples of pottery and sculpture. Tinjacá, Suta (Merchan), and Guatoque Gachantivá (now St. Sophia), with the disappeared villages Zaquencipá, Monquirá, Yuca, Sorocotá (where the main market) and Turkish, were the largest chiefdom Zaquensipá.

The upper area of Villa de Leyva found on the moor and the lagoon Iguaque played a key role in the culture of this town as their cosmogony is based on this gap:

Bachué Myth or creating humans : From Lake Iguaque came a beautiful woman carrying a child on her right arm loaded, this woman named Bachué or Furachogue delved with the child in the