Philatelic Photograph: Plaza de la Aduana - Cartagena, Colombia

Plaza de la Aduana

(Customs Square)

Cartagena, Colombia

N 10° 25.330 W 075° 33.016

Short Description: 

Plaza de la Aduana (Customs Square) is a triangular plaza in the southern part of the old walled area of Cartagena.

Long Description:

Plaza de la Aduana is the largest and oldest square in the old part of Cartagena, which was founded in 1533. Under Spanish colonial rule it was surrounded governmental and administrative buildings. It retains much of the colonial architecture.

The large white building on the southwest side (left side of the stamp) is the Alcaldia de Cartagenais, the offices of the City of Cartagena. Peaking over the buildings on the east side (center of the stamp) is the Jesuit operated church of San Pedro Claver. In the plaza is a marble monument to Christopher Columbus, which was dedicated on the 400th anniversary of the Discovery of America, October 12, 1894. The colonial building on the northeast corner (right side of the stamp) is now the Hard Rock Cafe of Cartagena.

For a while the plaza was renamed the Plaza Colón, then the Plaza Rafael Núñez, after the former president of Colombia who was born in Cartagena. Neither name gained the approval of the public and everyone still calls the space the Plaza de la Aduana.

The stamp was issued by Colombia in 1983 to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the founding of Cartagena.