Ruins of León Viejo

• Description
• Maps
• Documents
• Threats
• Assistance

Brief Description

León Viejo is one of the oldest Spanish colonial settlements in the Americas. It did not develop and so its ruins are outstanding testimony to the social and economic structures of the Spanish Empire in the 16th century. Moreover, the site has immense archaeological potential.

Justification for Inscription

Criterion iii The ruined town of León Viejo provides exceptional testimony to the material culture of one of the earliest Spanish colonial settlements. Criterion iv The form and nature of early Spanish settlement in the New World, adapting European architectural and planning concepts to the material potential of another region, are uniquely preserved in the archaeological site of León Viejo.