Iquira founding dates back to 1694 by order of Francisco Martinez de Ospina who gives the name of San Francisco de Iquira a town built in what is now known as the alley, just are the territories of farms El Carmen, La Mestiza and San Mateo. Its first inhabitants were the Paez Indians on suspicion of a possible attack by the Indians Pijaos population decided to move to the site it occupies today to be high ground, with a strategic position to spot the enemy. So it is given the name "high mountains" as meaning that primitive voices gave the word Iquira. In order to spread the Catholic faith among the aborigines in 1656 the Franciscans founded a center of teaching and imposing St. Francis as its patron. In l672 the captains Francisco Perdomo Betancourt, Francisco Trujillo and Castro, Alfonso Montealegre and others, tried to raise the village to the category of town with the name Iquira Alley. This attempt is unsuccessful why the town was abandoned as did the Spanish in all people who did not accept his whims. Iquira In 1887 he was promoted to the rank of town and around 1907 the construction of the temple began with the participation of all residents led by the priest Lucas Ortiza;

JUAN MANUEL SANTOS TAMAYO  10-02