World Heritage Identification Number: 613
World Heritage since: 2000
Category: Cultural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Continent: Americas
UNESCO World Region: Latin America and the Caribbean
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The Ruins of León Viejo: A Window into the Past of Colonial Nicaragua
The Ruins of León Viejo, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, offer a unique glimpse into the history and development of colonial Nicaragua. Situated in the municipality of La Paz Centro, within the department of León, these ancient ruins serve as a testament to the social and economic structures that defined the Spanish Empire during the 16th century.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
León Viejo is one of the oldest Spanish colonial settlements in the Americas. It did not develop and so its ruins are outstanding testimony to the social and economic structures of the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. Moreover, the site has immense archaeological potential.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion iii The ruined town of León Viejo provides exceptional testimony to the material culture of one of the earliest Spanish colonial settlements. Criterion iv The form and nature of early Spanish settlement in the New World, adapting European architectural and planning concepts to the material potential of another region, are uniquely preserved in the archaeological site of León Viejo.
Encyclopedia Record: León Viejo
Ruins of León Viejo is a World Heritage Site in Nicaragua. It was the original location of León. It is the present location of the town of Puerto Momotombo in the Municipality of La Paz Centro of the Department of León. It is administered by the Instituto Nicaragüense de Cultura.Additional Site Details
Area: 31.87 hectares
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 12.40047 , -86.616336
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© pr47, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
