El Infiernito
Villa de Leyva
archaeoastronomical site in Colombia
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1El Infiernito
Welcome, esteemed travelers and scholars, to the profound and enigmatic grounds of El Infiernito, a site whose official anthropological designation is the Observatorio Solar Muisca. As we stand at the threshold of this…
Listen in the app2The Muisca Cosmic Worldview
As we move further into the complex, it is essential to understand the philosophical and cosmological framework of the Muisca people. The Muisca did not view the heavens and the earth as separate entities; rather, they perceived…
Listen in the app3The Monolithic Columns
We now approach the most visually striking feature of El Infiernito: the rows of monolithic columns aligned with striking precision. These stones, carved from the local bedrock, stand as silent sentinels of time. …
Listen in the app4The Solar and Lunar Calendars
Let us delve deeper into the mechanics of the Muisca calendar system, which was fundamentally rooted in the observations made right here at this specific location. The Muisca utilized a complex lunisolar calendar, recognizing…
Listen in the app5The Phallic Symbols and Mother Earth
As we navigate to the northern sector of the complex, we encounter a fascinating and culturally profound aspect of El Infiernito: the phallic monuments. These stones, distinctly carved to represent the male reproductive organ,…
Listen in the app6The Valley of Saquencipa
Standing here, let us pivot our focus outward to the magnificent Valley of Saquencipa that cradles this observatory. The location of El Infiernito was not chosen at random. …
Listen in the app7Eliecer Silva Celis and Excavation History
Our final specific area of focus brings us to the history of the site's modern rediscovery and preservation, inextricably linked to the pioneering Colombian anthropologist Eliecer Silva Celis. In the mid twentieth century, this…
Listen in the app8El Infiernito
As we conclude our comprehensive scholarly tour of the Observatorio Solar Muisca, I encourage you to take a final, sweeping look across the aligned columns and the expansive Valley of Saquencipa. We have journeyed through the…
Listen in the app
What is El Infiernito?
El Infiernito is a place in Villa de Leyva with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Villa de Leyva |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 5.6474, -73.5587 |
| Last updated |