Emblematic buildings

Municipal Council
Colonial houses
Ochoa house
El Páramo

Municipal Council

He currently conducts his sessions in two historic houses in the city, which have been carefully preserved and adapted for this purpose. These houses, of different architectural styles, represent both the historical and social value of the city. One of them, an Antioquian style house built in bahareque, was inhabited by the poet Luis Carlos González Mejía, recognized for his love of Pereira and his literary work. In his honor, Pereiranidad Day is celebrated every September 26.

The other house, inhabited by Jorge Roa Martínez, a key man in the development of the city, reflects Pereira’s transition from village to city, with a design influenced by European architecture. Roa Martínez, although not born in Pereira, dedicated his life to the progress of the city, especially in the political, economic and academic spheres. Both houses are witnesses to the cultural and social legacy of Pereira and the people who contributed to its development.

Did you know?
Pereira's current Municipal Council building was once the “Casa de la Hiedra” (House of Ivy).
Did you know?
At the back of the current mayor's office building there is a street called “La calle del tuvo” (the street of the had).
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Colonial houses

The house is a representative example of the wattle and daub architecture developed in Pereira at the beginning of the 20th century, influenced by the coffee boom after 1920. This boom allowed access to new materials and styles, which were incorporated into a unique architecture, adapting traditional patio house models with European and North American influences.

The building stands out as one of the few examples of this regional architecture, incorporating innovations such as the use of sheet metal and glass, inspired by Art Nouveau. In addition, the wood was refined, showing high quality details in interiors and exteriors. This house is considered a cultural legacy and a testimony of the historical period that consolidated the local identity, although its true significance is not yet fully recognized by the general public.

Did you know?
There are still colonial houses in Pereira
Have you ever heard of the mysterious “Calle del Miadero”?
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Ochoa house

The corner house, built in the 1920s, is an outstanding example of regional republican architecture and Antioquian colonization in Pereira. Built using the wattle and daub technique, it uses local materials such as wood, matting, shingles, and clay tiles, reflecting an environmentally sustainable approach. The structure largely maintains its original state, including walls, mezzanines and roof, although the façade shows wear due to lack of maintenance and the substitution of original materials, such as wooden doors replaced by metal carpentry.

This building, constructed by Enrique Ochoa, illustrates the transition in the Antioquian colonization towards empirical builders and carvers, influenced by publications and descriptions of travelers. It represents a homogeneous architectural ensemble in harmony with the neighboring houses, standing out for elements such as the central patio, the staircase, the perimeter corridors, and the quality of the carpentry, including columns with decorative capitals and a dining room on the second floor.

Have you heard the story of the candileja in Pereira?

El Páramo

Initially known as Al pie del páramo, it was founded in 1917 as a grocery store that also manufactured soap and candles. Over time, it became an emblematic meeting place in Pereira, where citizens and visitors enjoyed the aguardiente to the sound of the bambucos of Maestro Luis Carlos González. This space was the scene of family moments, stories of ancestors, romances and meetings of political figures and personalities of the national show business.

Located in the center of the city, El Paramo became a cultural and social symbol of Pereira, witnessing important events and a source of inspiration for the poetry of Maestro Gonzalez. Although it no longer exists due to architectural and commercial advances, its legacy lives on in the collective memory and in photographs preserved by local history enthusiasts. To revive his memory is to preserve a fundamental part of the city’s first century.

Did you know?
The musical soul of Pereira was born in an emblematic place called El Páramo.
Did you know?
The famous meeting point of serenaders and bambuqueros, El Páramo, has a story that seems to be taken from a poem.
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Did you know that Pereira's current City Council building was once the enigmatic “Casa de la Hiedra”?

This historic residence, surrounded by lush vegetation that covered its walls like a green mantle, belonged to the influential Jorge Roa Martínez, founder of the Universidad Tecnológica de Pereira. Its façade, wrapped in ivy, evoked an atmosphere of mystery, a European air of gothic tales, where one could imagine Dracula or Frankenstein lurking in the shadows. Right next door was the house of the teacher Luis Carlos González Mejía. Today, these two architectural jewels are the heart of the municipal government, preserving in their walls the echo of a past full of history and legends.

Did you know that at the back of the current City Hall building there is a street called “La calle del tuvo”?

This pedestrian street that today is crowded with cafes and restaurants was so named because, according to the locals of the city, many men, especially pensioners, crowded there to negotiate their trinkets and mourn for what they had and no longer have.

Did you know that there are still colonial houses in Pereira?

Located on Carrera 7 between streets 21 and 22, bordering the pedestrian street 22, the colonial houses of Pereira that still survive the expansionist and modern world, have wooden balconies (macana), large windows that allow air circulation and ornamental details on the doors and windows. In addition, many have central patios surrounded by corridors, which is typical in colonial architecture to take advantage of the cool breeze.

Have you ever heard of the mysterious “Calle del Miadero”?

In the 1930s, on what is now 18th Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets, this curious corner of the city was hidden, where cantinas attracted gentlemen with a thirst for drinks and little sense of decency. At that time, public urinals were a rare luxury, so men used to go out on the street to relieve themselves without a second thought. However, legend has it that those who ventured to urinate in that street were not alone: a haunting specter would appear, accompanying them in the task. Rumors spread like wildfire, and soon, as more men claimed to see or feel the presence of an “invisible companion” in their most vulnerable moments, the Calle del Miadero became a place to be feared and avoided. Would you be able to walk it after dark?

Have you heard the story of the candileja in Pereira?

It is said that, back in the thirties and forties, on the corner of 32nd Street and Seventh Street, near the cemetery, a mysterious light appeared in the darkness of the night. It was like a wandering flame that came out of the cemetery and traveled the entire block, terrifying the neighbors. Desperate, the inhabitants called the police, but the light never appeared when they were present. So it went until a woman, one of those who are not afraid of anything, challenged the neighbors: “I’m going to find out what the candileja is! How much do you pay me?” With the promised payment and an iron temper, she followed the light to the cemetery and, without hesitation, went into the darkness. In the end, he discovered that the “candileja” was nothing more than a joke: two bored gravediggers, who at night lit a bonnet with a light to scare people. Those men, with no television or radio to entertain them, found their amusement in the alarm of the neighbors, who were finally able to rest thanks to the bravery of that woman.

Did you know that the musical soul of Pereira was born in an emblematic place called El Páramo?

On a modest corner, 15th and 7th, this place was a meeting point of creativity, where serenaders and bambuco players congregated under the night, with guitars and verses to the wind. There, the great poet Luis Carlos González, without being a musician, gave life to the lyrics that his friends would later dress with notes, creating the bambucos that today resound as part of our identity. Although El Paramo no longer exists, its essence is still alive; that corner continues to be a corner of encounters, nostalgia and poetry; a reminder that music and art do not need large stages, but hearts willing to share their magic.

Did you know that the famous meeting point for serenaders and bambuqueros, El Páramo, has a story that seems to be taken from a poem?

Once upon a time, in that corner of the city, the landscape was free of buildings; from the courtyard of the houses you could see the imposing Nevado del Ruiz. People used to say “let’s go to the paramo”, as if just by crossing the street they could reach the snow-capped peaks. Thus was born its name, the Páramo, a place that, even today, invites us to dream of mountains and nostalgia of simple and grandiose times.

Have you ever wondered where the first settlers arrived in Pereira?

Although today the center is the heart of the city, those first settlers did not settle there. On the contrary, they settled in what we know today as Condina. However, these lands did not offer the fertility they expected, which led the settlers to move little by little to areas closer to the current center. Thus began the movement that shaped the Pereira we know today.

Have you ever wondered who laid the foundations for the 1886 Constitution?

Mr. Francisco Pereira Martinez was one of the first to leave the first signs of what would become the creation of this important Constitution, which eventually became one of the pillars of our legal history.

¿Sabías que, en el siglo XIX, para fundar una ciudad, se realizaba un acto simbólico muy particular?

En lugar de ceremonias complejas, bastaba con que los fundadores desenvainaran una espada y marcaran una gran X en un árbol, a menudo cortándolo parcialmente. Este sencillo gesto se convertía en el primer hito de la nueva ciudad, dejando así, con una sola marca, el inicio de lo que sería un nuevo asentamiento.

Did you know that Pereira had three foundations throughout its history?

The first occurred in 1540, when Marshal Jorge Robledo, who then held the rank of captain, arrived in these lands and founded the city of Cartago. However, just a year later, in 1541, his superior, Sebastián de Belalcázar, arrived and reported that the city had been poorly founded. This forced the colonizers to make a new foundation.

Finally, on August 30, 1863, with a religious ceremony led by Father Remigio Antonio Cañarte, the city of Pereira, which we know today, was legally founded. This third and final foundation marked the beginning of a new chapter for the city and its inhabitants, consolidating its identity and place in the history of Colombia.

Did you know that the emblematic Plaza de Bolívar did not always bear that name?

In its early years, it was known as Plaza Victoria, a reflection of a time when our identity was still marked by European influences. In fact, the urban design of the city and the layout of its streets were the work of an English architect named Walker, who chose the name “Plaza Victoria” for this central place that would eventually become an icon of our history and culture.