Murals

La Libertad Park Mural

Lucy Tejada, along with other artists, created the “Monumento al Estudiante”, a mosaic mural located in La Libertad Park, in 1958, to pay homage to the young people assassinated on June 8 and 9, 1954. These events marked the beginning of the student movement, which played a key role in the fall of the Rojas Pinilla regime in 1957. Despite some advances during his government, such as the development of infrastructure and women’s right to vote, there was also repression and censorship.

The mural, located in what was formerly known as Plaza de la Paz, is a symbol of the student struggle and freedom, which is also reflected in the park’s name change. The “Monumento al Estudiante” continues to be a reference of the struggle for the common good, contributing to the historical memory and the recognition of students as agents of social change.

Did you know?
The mural in tribute to the student was hidden from public eyes for years

Did you know that the mural in tribute to the student, which today stands out in Liberty Park, was hidden from public eyes for years?

This work is a delicate mosaic created by the talented artist from Pereira, Doña Lucy Tejada. However, at some point in history, the emblematic mural was covered up, almost forgotten, when the bustling San Andresito began to expand around and into the park, building its own world of commerce. It was only when this popular market found its home elsewhere that Parque de la Libertad regained its space, and the mural came back into view, revealing its beauty and reminding us of the history held there.

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.