| Birth: | c. 1507
Galerazamba, Colombia | | Death: | unknown | 
Columbian Folk Figure. She was a young girl, and daughter of a cacique, or native chief, when she was taken prisoner by Spanish Captain Diego de Nicuesa, in Galerazamba. He took her to Santo Domingo, where she was sold as an orphan to a high ranking Spanish official, who baptized and educated her, raising her as if she was his own. When she was about 26, her adoptive mother died, and, with her only sister about to marry, she returned to her native city. Being fluent in both Spanish and the native tongue, she was selected by Pedro de Heredia to be her interpreter when he came to found the city of Cartagena, and conquer and plunder the tribes living nearby. She married Heredia's nephew, Alonso Montadis. Later she testified against Heredia when he faced charges including theft of gold and mistreatment of Indians. She moved to Seville, Spain where she disappeared from historical record. Today, her 190 kilogram, 2.95 meter tall bronze statue sculpted by Hector Tito Lombana and Eladio Gil Zambrana is synonymous with Cartagena and its annual International Film Festival.
Search Amazon for La India Catalina | | | Burial:
Just outside the city wall
Cartagena de Indias
Bolivar, Colombia |
Maintained by: Find A Grave
Record added: Apr 18, 2001
Find A Grave Memorial# 21688 |
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(4.2 after 15 votes)
