Centre of the Getsemani neighbourhood: Plaza de la Trinidad

The first place I saw when I arrived Cartagena, I’m staying in a little street by the square. You’ll always find a row of people sitting in front of the church, maybe a music band playing, or some workers cleaning the streets at 5 a.m. in the morning if you are waiting for your car to Santa Marta like me. Any time of the day the light and the shadow of the palm trees on the façade will get your attention. 

Plaza de la Trinidad, the Square of Trinity, in Getsemani had a major importance in Colombia’s struggle for independence. The Getsemani Batallion of Lancers, commanded by Pedro Romero, would result in the declaration of independence in Nov 11, 1811. The name of the square comes from the Church of the Holy Trinity dating 1643. After the declaration of independence they wanted to change the name to Liberty Square but it’s hard to change habits! The restaurants and cafés by the square are packed with tourists any time of the day. Getsemani, like the original place in Jerusalem, where Jesus was caught and judged before the Jewish court, then is always a place of a painful and bloody page of history.