Venadillo
Municipality in Tolima, Colombia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Venadillo is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia. The population of the municipality was 13,266 as of 2024.[1] Venadillo is 56 kilometres northeast of Ibagué.[2]
Venadillo | |
|---|---|
Municipality and town | |
|
Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of the municipality and town of Venadillo in the Tolima Department of Colombia. | |
| Country |  Colombia |
| Department | Tolima Department |
| Area | |
• Total | 358 km2 (138 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 349 m (1,145 ft) |
| Population (2015) | |
• Total | 19,586 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Colombia Standard Time) |
History
The area where Venadillo was founded was historically inhabited by Citirques, Guambaimas, Colombaimas and Tolonies tribes of the Panche linguistic family and the Chocarí tribe of the Pijao. The name is derived from the local population of deer.[3]
Venadillo was founded as a hamlet on 2 September 1560 by Bartolomé de Frías y Carvajal, as a deer husbandry site. The town was expanded in its second foundation on 29 November 1596 through Venadillo's first serving mayor, Juan García de Herrera. Its third and final foundation was in 1710 under Manuel Antonio Maldonado Martínez.[1]
On 21 February 1863, Venadillo became a municipality, which went into effect on 1 January 1864.[2]
In the main park, the statue "Los Venados" commemorates Ponjo, a local tribal chief credited with domesticating the deer, and the namesake animal of Venadillo.[2][3]
