Popayan

Popayan is the capital of Cauca Department in southwestern Colombia, set in the Pubenza Valley at 1,760 meters elevation between two mountain ranges. Founded on January 13, 1537 by the Spanish conquistador Sebastian de Belalcazar, the city became an important colonial transfer point between Lima, Quito and Cartagena and is nicknamed La Ciudad Blanca for its white colonial architecture. The 2018 census recorded about 318,059 residents, and UNESCO named Popayan the first City of Gastronomy in 2005 and recognized its Holy Week processions as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity; the city has also been home to seventeen Colombian presidents and hosts the University of Cauca, founded in 1827. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/