The Spanish conquistadors, who wanted to found a city and settle down, created an urban settlement where they could live in order under a stable government. To the east, at the foot of the hills, is where the remains of an indigenous town called Teusaquillo are found, which was located near the residence of the Zipa, endowed with water, wood, sheltered from the winds thanks to the hills of Monserrate and Guadalupe.

Although there is no trace of the founding of the city, August 6, 1538 is accepted as the founding date. According to tradition, on that day the priest Fray Domingo de las Casas celebrated the first Mass in a roofed church, built in about the current cathedral. It is said that on that day the region received the name of “New Kingdom of Granada” and the city was called Santa Fe.

The urban layout was laid out in the form of a grid and this same structure has been maintained ever since. In 1553, the Plaza Mayor, now Plaza Bolívar, was moved to the site it currently occupies and construction of the Primate Cathedral began on the east side.

Bogotá was an isolated city due to very poor communication routes. Only at the end of the century did the connections improve slightly, thanks to the railway and some roads along the Magdalena River that connected it with the Caribbean coast.

During the XNUMXth century, the traditions and habits of the colonial era were preserved, combined with some European influences. Ajiaco became the typical dish, and hot chocolate and typical homemade sweets were served at family or business gatherings.

During the XNUMXth century, the transformation of Bogota's cultural life changed, in part thanks to the new media. Newspapers, national and foreign magazines, movies, radios, telegraphs and telephone networks multiplied, and air transport put Bogotá in communication with the rest of the world. The waves of peasants and businessmen fleeing the violence and those who arrived in Bogotá in search of work and better opportunities contributed to tripling the population.

In 1954 they were annexed to the municipalities of Bogotá: Usme, Bosa, Fontibón, Engativá, Suba and Usaquén, creating the special district of Bogotá, which was projected towards future growth, organizing the new administrative structure of the city.

The city's economy has undergone great development and diversification.

The immense industrial production made it necessary to create important specialized industrial zones. The Bogota Savannah it has become an important center for the production of flowers exported to many countries and micro-enterprises offer employment to a large part of the population in various activities.

This article was originally written in Italian