Getsemaní

Getsemani began as a separate island linked to the walled city by a causeway. Published histories note that by around 1600 there was already some settlement here, including the San Francisco convent and a slaughterhouse, and that plans to fortify the growing district were made around 1630. Wikipedia records that Governor Francisco de Murga began enclosing Getsemani with protective walls in 1631, including the Media Luna battery which guarded the only gate and causeway to the mainland.

Although it was included in the city's defensive plans, Getsemani was regarded as peripheral and was home mostly to artisans such as masons, blacksmiths, shipwrights, carpenters, barbers and fishermen. That working-class identity still shapes how the neighbourhood describes itself.

Getsemani is closely associated with 11 November 1811, when Cartagena declared absolute independence from Spain. Accounts say residents armed themselves and gathered around the governing council to press for a declaration. Pedro Romero led the Lanceros de Getsemani, one of the first active military units in the resistance. Cartagena is often described as an early city in Colombia to declare independence, though how it ranks against others depends on the source.

The heart of the district is the Plaza de la Trinidad, named after the Holy Trinity church, built between 1643 and 1688 according to published accounts. A monument in the square commemorates the 1811 uprising and is described as showing Pedro Romero with a raised fist, a Franciscan priest and the drummer who called the citizens to arms.

For much of the twentieth century the neighbourhood had a rough reputation, but in recent years residents have promoted the area through art, food and dance. Wikipedia describes it as having been turned into a Ciudad Mural, with murals meant to preserve the customs, traditions and stories of its people. Along Calle de la Sierpe and Calle San Juan, older buildings carry large murals by local and international artists, many celebrating the Caribbean landscape, wildlife and the palenquera women of the coast. The Calle de la Sierpe street-art project of 2010 was titled Pedro Romero Vive Aqui.

Old buildings in the district have been turned into boutique hotels and small guesthouses, and its plazas come alive in the evening with music and cafes. The pace is more local and relaxed than inside the walls.

Getsemani is easy to combine with the walled city because it sits just across from the Clock Tower gate. Streets are compact and flat, and the best colours are seen in morning or late afternoon light. A private guide can add context on the independence story and the murals, which are easy to walk past without explanation.