History
In pre-Columbian times the land where canton of Alajuela is today was part of the so-called Huetar Kingdom of the West, which was inhabited by native tribes, who at the time of the Spanish conquest were led by Chief Garabito.
The first Spanish settlers established settlements c. 1650 in the region. In a letter of obligation granted in 1864, the place is mentioned as La Lajuela in the Valley of Barva, near the Canoas river.
In 1777 the dwellers of La Lajuela and Ciruelas, having been served with notice to move to Villa Vieja (today’s Heredia), requested the provisional construction of a public place of prayer in the house of Don Dionysius Oconitrillo, of Spanish origin, 30 meters north of where Alajuela’s cathedral is today. After increases of population in the five existing quarters then: Targuaz, Puás, Ciruelas, La Lajuela and Rio Grande, the citizens faced difficulties to maintain their religious obligations, so they requested permission to establish a parish and a public place of prayer from the Bishop of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Monsignor don Esteban Lorenzo de Tristán.
According to a motion issued in the Spanish Parliament of Cadiz (Spain, May 19, 1812), the first town hall of Alajuela was founded in 1813. On December 18 of the same year, the La Lajuela quarter obtained the title of town and it was renamed. It was first called "Villa Hermosa," then it was called "San Juan Nepomuceno de Alajuela" and finally the title of city was granted on November 20, 1824 and with it the name "Alajuela" which remains today.
Participation in important historical events by citizens of Alajuela has ensured the city's reputation as a storied place in Costa Rican history. The national hero Juan Santamaría, who died during the campaign in 1856 to remove invaders threatening Costa Rica's sovereignty, was born in Alajuela. This historical event is celebrated and remembered every year on the 11th of April and it is a national holiday.
The area often experiences earthquakes; the 2009 magnitude 6.1 earthquake was the strongest to hit the area, causing several landslides.
Read more about this topic: Alajuela
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