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Ibarra, Ecuador
Ibarra (full name San Miguel de Ibarra) is a city in northern Ecuador and the capital of the Imbabura Province. It lies at the foot of the Imbabura Volcano and on the left bank of the Tahuando river. It is about northeast of Ecuador's capital Quito.
History
Ibarra was founded in 1606 by the Spanish. Many churches and public buildings were built, but an earthquake in 1868 destroyed many of them. The Inca ruler Atahualpa was born in the Inca settlement of Caranqui about 2 km from the city.
Helados de paila (handmade ice-cream or sorbet and still sold in the markets today) was first made in Ibarra during Incan times , using snow or ice from the nearby Imbabura Volcano (which is no longer snow bound). Using a large bronze pan surrounded by ice shavings, the juices of various fruits are stirred into the pan to freeze.
The city was founded twice. The first time, in 1606, was by mandate of the Royal Audience of Quito. A devastating earthquake on 16 August 1868 forced the city to be re-founded in 1872. Based on its newest date of foundation, Ibarra is the youngest city in Ecuador.
Modern Day Ibarra
Nowadays, Ibarra is a market town popular with tourists. It has mild weather, colonial white-washed houses (giving it the nickname The White City), and cobbled streets. The Santa Domingo church houses a museum holding paintings. The town is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ibarra.
Markets are on Saturdays, and the main festival is the Fiesta de los Lagos, which is held on the last weekend of September. Also, two colourful parades known as El Pregon and Virgen del Carmen are held on 16 July every year.
Other town attractions are the many restaurants specialising in local cuisine, along with the clubs, discos and a paragliding club.
References
External links
Audio interview with Ibarra resident about life in Ibarra
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Ibarra, Ecuador
