Popayán
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Popayán
(pōpäyän`), city (1993 pop. 169,423), alt. 5,500 ft (1,676 m), capital of Cauca dept., SW Colombia, on a volcanic terrace high above the Cauca River. It produces textiles and foodstuffs. Popayán was founded in 1536 by Sebastián de BenalcázarBenalcázar or Belalcázar, Sebastián de, c.1479–1551, Spanish conquistador. After accompanying Columbus on his third voyage (1498), Benalcázar served in Darién and Nicaragua
..... Click the link for more information. and during colonial times was a wealthy and aristocratic trade center. After Colombia gained independence in the 19th cent., the city lost much of its commercial preeminence but remained a major cultural center. Points of interest include many fine examples of Spanish colonial architecture and a university founded in 1640.
Popayán
a city in southwestern Colombia, in the Cauca River valley; situated on the Pan American Highway. Capital of Cauca Department. Population, 96,000 (1971). Popayán has railroad lines to Cali and the port of Buenaventura. A commercial center of a coffee-producing region, it has food and light industries. There is a university in the city. Popayán was founded in the 1530’s.