An important part of the history of Colombia is preserved in the Francisco José de Caldas Museum House, named in honor of the Payanés scientist and hero of Independence.

This site in the center of Bogotá, with its oldest document dating back to 1689, was home to the so-called "Sabio Caldas" around 1806. This house was declared a National Monument and Historical Heritage in 1944 and opened as a museum to the public in 1985.

Francisco José de Caldas was born in Popayán on October 4, 1768, the son of Spanish (Creole) parents and belonging to an educated social class. He played a key role in the "El Florero de Llorente" incident, which triggered Independence on July 20, 1810.

A lover of freedom and a professional engineer, his friends gave him the nickname "The Wise" due to his interest in science, cartography, botany, journalism, astronomy, geography, and research of all kinds.

He was a cultured man who had a military career and lost his life after being captured by the royalist army for collaborating with the independence cause. He was executed on October 28, 1816, at the San Francisco Plaza, now Parque Santander in Bogotá.

He lived in this house with his wife María Manuela Varaona and their children during the early years of the Republic from the second half of 1810, partly due to its proximity to the National Astronomical Observatory, where he enjoyed spending much time.

Located at Carrera Octava with Calle Sexta, near the Palacio de Nariño, this colonial-style building was restored starting in 1980 under the direction of the Fundación para la Conservación y Restauración del Patrimonio Cultural Colombiano del Banco de la República. Since 1986, its administration has been managed by the Escuela de Ingenieros Militares.

Visit Francisco José de Caldas' House

The House is currently a museum dedicated to the research, preservation, and dissemination of the life and work of this Hero of Independence, patron of the Army Engineers of the Colombian National Army.

The architecture of the house reveals key aspects of the era. The Royal Decree required that private properties maintain a sober appearance without unnecessary embellishments.

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Two floors with low ceilings divided into several rooms are the setting for a permanent exhibition of personal objects from Sabio Caldas that recount his life and work, making him an important figure in Colombia's history.

The facade features a wooden door, flanked by two windows carved from the same material. On the second floor, three beautiful windows with balconies can be seen, along with the clay-tiled roof.

Inside the house, the Engineering Room, the Caldas Room, and the Conference Room are the spaces where manuscripts, books, drawings, furniture, military objects, botanical illustrations, and beautiful paintings are displayed, depicting episodes from national history and illustrating the universe of ideas of Francisco José de Caldas.

A six-meter-high mural shows the thermal floors of our topography, in front of an interactive journey that includes botanical wisdom and the steps of the leader.

The scientific life and work of Sabio Caldas is showcased during the tour of the house, a path that expresses his love for Colombian territory and its people, with books that further fueled his admiration for the Enlightenment movement.

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A marble plaque above the main entrance door carries an inscription in Latin, made in 1881 by the philologist Rufino José Cuervo, which translates as: “He consecrated this house with his immaculate life, ennobled it through the cultivation of sciences, and upon dying for his country, bequeathed it to the veneration of his fellow citizens.”

Visit the house of Francisco José de Caldas and discover the spirit of generosity, love for science, and commitment to the nation, with which this noble man lived, leaving an indelible mark on the history of our country!