Ciudad Darío
| Ciudad Darío | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
 Ciudad Darío
|
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| Coordinates: 12°43′0″N 86°07′0″W / 12.71667°N 86.11667°WCoordinates: 12°43′0″N 86°07′0″W / 12.71667°N 86.11667°W | |
| Country | Nicaragua |
| Department | Matagalpa Department |
| Elevation | 433 m (1,421 ft) |
| Population (2005) | |
| • Municipality | 41,014 |
| • Urban | 16,646 |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
Ciudad Darío (Spanish pronunciation: [sjuˈðað ðaˈɾi.o]) is a municipality in the Matagalpa department of Nicaragua. It is the birthplace of poet Rubén Darío.
Previously known as Metapa and Chocoyos, Ciudad Darío is located 90 km (about 56 miles) from Managua. The population is about 16,000.
In prehistoric times, the area was probably part of an ancient lake, from where the Ucumulali River flowed on its way to the Pacific Ocean. Some geologists believe that over time, cataclysmic movements of the Earth created mountain ranges and diverted the river to its present course. The area was originally inhabited by Matagalpa Indians, whose main settlement was located in the vicinity of the lagoon of Moyua. It was here that archaeologists discovered pre-colonial stone columns which may have belonged to a temple.
In the year 1528, the Spanish seem to have found some small Indian villages. The Acting Governor, Diego de Castañeda ordered captain Gabriel de Rojas to search for a passage from this location to the sea in the north. On his journey, he brought people on foot and on horses, the number of people ranging potentially from fifty to two hundred.(Indian Archives, Seville, Spain)
In 1627, Fray Garcia de Loaysa lured several Matagalpa Indians to settle in this region of Metapa. (Jaime Incer. Viajes, Rutas y Encuentros, p. 254). The town was originally known as Chocoyos, named after a small green parrot that can be seen there in great numbers, and also due to the custom of the locals to build their homes from green branches. During the Spanish colonial times the town which is along the route to the mountain towns of Matagalpa and Nueva Segovia regions, was an important resting place for missionaries and troops that were on their way to the interior of the country, . In 1685, the Bishop of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Fray Ramon Rojas, died in Metapa(then called
Chocoyos), exhausted after escaping from a pirate attack. In 1703,
Chocoyos was visited by the Franciscan missionary, Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus and then by Bishop Fray Agustin Morel de Santa Cruz in 1752, when the town was renamed Metapa.
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Wikipedia