From Corinto in Nicaragua, we decided to visit Old Leon. In
1610 the volcano Momotombo destroyed the city of Leon burying it in much the
same way as Mt. Vesuvius destroyed the Roman city of Pompeii. In recent years
the old city has been progressively unearthed and the tops of many buildings
from this old Spanish city have risen from the ashes.
Whilst nowhere as dramatic as Pompeii, it was interesting to
see the buildings re-emerge after sleeping for centuries. We walked around this
tropical site admiring the many structures.
This classic building remains a mystery.
At the site of the ancient city a fortress was built by the
Spanish to protect the city. There is
little to see of the structure but much to see of the spectacular views of Mt.
Momotombo and five other volcanoes along with the waters of Lake Xolotan.
The view from the old fort site. Some of the wall was
unearthed in 1998.
After the eruption, the people walked over 60 kilometres to
establish the new city of Leon. They even salvaged their statue of “Black
Jesus” to reinstall in their new Cathedral. It is the largest in Central
America.
The Cathedral of Leon.
We were able to climb to the rooftop and walk around. Very
interesting and great views!
The Main Square viewed from the stairs up.
The rooftop
The rooftop, the city and the volcanoes
More rooftop
View from the
roof
1 comment:
Another fascinating site (my comments are so boring I know, oh look, interesting old buildings/old buildings destroyed in natural disasters).
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