In Mompox life is whispered to the sway of the breeze from the Magdalena River, (main artery of Colombia). This town was born from an island that during the colonization period was a refuge for the gold and silver that the Spanish brought from their kingdom. Mompox, was founded in 1540. And, thanks to its beauty and colonial charm, visitors become infatuated with it.
The classic Sevillian architecture style, the romanticism that its streets mantain, the facades of the majestic colonial houses and the kindness of its inhabitants make this town a magical place. It is one of the seventeen Heritage Villages of Colombia.
The location
Its location is key. It is a district in the department of Bolívar, Colombia. It borders with one of the arms of the Magdalena River and forms the “Depresión Momposina”.
The Momposina Depretion is a sedimentary hydrographic basin of 24,650 km² that is located in the departments of Antioquia, Bolívar, Magdalena, Sucre, Córdoba and Cesar.
This territory is covered in its entirety by the Magdalena River, where the Cauca, Cesar and San Jorge rivers drain.
With a warm and welcoming climate, the so-called “Land of God” has much to offer those who visit it.
Its charms are a real show and the stories that are hidden with in it make this municipality an attractive and curious place to visit.
This misterious place, takes you to another dimetion thanks to the structures of its streets. Houses have high ceilings in order to deal with the heat.
We must say that in Mompox, the summer is short, torrid and dry. While the winter (rain season) short, hot and wet. Year-round temperatures are between 24 degrees Celsius and 37 degrees Celsius and it is rare for it to go under 22 degrees celsius and over 40 degrees Celsius.
Its location, between Bogotá and the main port of the Caribbean, made Mompóx the perfect place for rich merchants to settle there.
But with progress several changes took place. When the railroad and roads arrived, the Magdalena River lost its status as the only means of communication from the capital to the sea.
On the other hand, Mompox is in a muddy area and the sediments blocked Mompox’s Arm.
Despite this taking place at the beginning of the 20th century, the streets and buildings of Mompox remained intact. In 1995, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In addition to its beauty and privileged location, Mompox is immortalized in literature. In the novel “The General in his Labyrinth” by Gabriel García Márquez, reference is made to the glorious past of Santa Cruz de Mompox.
The novel is written in third person with evocations of specific events in the life of Simón Bolívar, generically called “El General”.
The General and his entourage arrive at the port of Mompox. Here they are stopped by the police, who do not recognize the General. Officials ask for your passport, but do not have it. Finally, the police discover his identity and escort him inside.
A wonderful goldsmith technique
Another of the Mompox attributes that gives it worldwide fame is the elaboration of gold and silver jewels through the difficult art of filigree.
This art is a wonderful goldsmith technique that consists of making fine threads with a metal, usually gold or silver, that make elaborate pieces of jewellery forming a lace-like pattern.
In Colombia, the only ones who work this art are the momposinos artists.
This traditional jewelry has colonial and autochthonous roots that preserve techniques and European ornamental forms that have persisted over time, legacies of Spanish, Arabic, French and English ancestors.
When you walk through its streets, tinkling hammers are heard in the background. You can hear the goldsmiths working in their workshops, making the fine filigree fabrics in gold.
Only the Mompox goldsmiths that have mastered patience and tranquility make it happen. They keep a modest knowledge, an open spirit and an almost religious dedication to this artistic expression.
If you have the opportunity of visiting a Filigree workshop you should definitely do it. The workshops are inside the houses and it is a tradition that is passed on from generation to generation. – Sara M. Rodas – (left quote)
It is necessary to make clear that the goldsmith and pottery were trades exercised by the natives long before the arrival of the Spaniards.
There were no gold mines in the vicinity of Mompox, but there was a closeness with the Zenúes and that is why the most beautiful pieces of pre-Hispanic goldsmithing had been made.
The city is a monument
They say that every family has atleast one goldsmith.
You can not say that there is something concrete to see in Mompox. The whole city is a monument. Beautiful houses with their balconies and patios. There are several churches and they all deserve a visit, but the best thing is to walk.
Some of the must-see plans are:
1. Stroll in a slab through the Mompox arm of the Magdalena River.
2. Visit to the Ciénaga de Pijiño: it goes in a boat, is about 30 minutes. You can admire the flora and fauna of the region.
3. Walk in a Jhonson (minor boat) by the Mompox arm of the Magdalena River, see the city from the river.
Fervent Holy Week celebrations
On the other hand, to travel Mompox is to review the history and the fervent Holy Week celebrations. The momposinos are friendly and cheerful, but keep their ascetic character around the celebrations of the Holy Week, period when tourists are seen the most on the island.
The celebration is full of pious acts and popular religiosity, inherited from the Spanish colonization, but also has native elements and very own that over time were added to the tradition that make it unique and different from the other celebrations.
One of the differences is the way of driving the steps (marched) or the beautiful music performed during the processions (marches). It is a celebration simply out of the ordinary.
It is inspired by Sevillian traditions, since its first settlers after the founding of the city and brought with them their customs.
Mompox in its different seasons evokes customs rooted since time immemorial. Some of them are:
** The feast of the Virgin of the Candlemas: those who celebrate their feast this day with the beautiful image that the streets of the city travel in procession, previous to this day their novenas are made.
** The Mompox carnival.
** The Corpus Christi procession is celebrated in the month of June.
** Traditional games: they take place in a neighborhood or corner of the city. They are carried out within the framework of national holidays. Some of the games that stand out are: Cucaña or Vara de Premio, Magic pots or Puerca Pelá.
Finishing with the sunset
Sundown at Ciénaga is an unmissable plan. You take a small boat in one of the harbors and go to see the sun set. You are surrounded by magnificent fauna and flora.
Walking along the river’s edge is one of the preferred plans at sunset. The tranquility that one breathes in Mompóx allows one to remain passive when the sun sets. When that happens the momposinos take rocking chairs to the street to chat animatedly with the neighbours in the cool of the night.
When one is in Mompox and stops to look, the only certain thing is that this town stopped in time. The magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez walks through its streets. In its streets it holds a one of a kind cultural treasure in Colombia.
