Between the 22 and 31 of December Antioqueños will be celebrating the traditional Fiestas de los Negritos in Medellin‘s neighbouring colonial town of Santa Fe de Antioquia.
The fiesta, which has been celebrated annually for over 350 years, began during the colonial era when slaves were permitted one day a year to taste the joys of freedom and do as they pleased.
“On this day they took to the streets and freely expressed their feelings and opinions,” explained architect and native Santafereño, Juan Ramon Villa Gomez in a report by El Colombiano Tuesday.
This festival is one of many to be hosted throughout the year in the town of Santa Fe, which was named a National Monument for its impressive colonial architecture. The town maintains many houses and churches dating back to the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.
A year ago, a group of local enthusiasts took it upon themselves to set up the Santa Fe de Antioquia Strategic Development Plan which has sought to involve people from the community in generating sustainable employment and permanently improving the quality of life for the local population.
The Civic Mayor, Alonso Monsalve, confirmed that fruits of this endeavour can already be seen. “We are obtaining resources to redesign the plaza so that it becomes the town’s primary tourist signal.”
Furthermore, Monsalve indicated that work is being carried out to install a large parking lot so that visitors may wander the streets with neither annoyances nor danger from vehicles. “The goal is that soon the city will be serene and pedestrianized,” concluded the mayor.