---

The desire to seek new fields of cultivation to open furrows in the land, as well as the colonizing spirit of a Costa Rica that at that time was virgin territory were, two of the main motivations for families from Alajuela, San José and; Especially, Heredia decided to explore the Potreros del Púas -as it was called then- that covered Punta de Caña (today Santa Gertrudis Sur), La Churruca (San Rafael de Poás), Taccari (Tacares), Puente de Piedra, San Roque and Sarchí.



WHERE DID THEY COME FROM?



The efforts of the settlers, stimulated by the granting of complaints (a legal figure that consisted of claiming before the respective authorities the de facto possession of a piece of land) to those who ventured into the far from easy -and; in the extreme, risky due to the conditions of the time - task of building between 1780 and 1820 the foundations of present-day Greece.



On April 27, 1838- Legislative Decree No. 69 created Greece as a people, thanks to the approval of the Constituent Assembly meeting in Heredia.



According to the text “Grecia en su centenario” (1938) published by the journalist Francisco María Núñez, the petition of the Greeks requesting permission to found a town and build a church on the lands of the Cofradía de Barba dates from 26 of October 1828 - file No. 21 - when the Municipality of San Juan Nepomuceno de Alajuela received the official communication. Said municipality submitted the request to the Higher Political Command headed by the Head of State Juan Mora Fernández but as the bureaucracy apparently had already sunk its claws in the management of public affairs, it took 10 years to approve the document sent by the 1,100 souls that then inhabited the 176 existing houses in Greece.

















Canton of the province of Alajuela, Costa Rica, located northwest of the head of the province (Alajuela)



The city of Grecia, called the cleanest city in Latin America, Canton number 3 of the province of Alajuela, is located in the central periphery of the country, 20 km to the Northwest of the main head of Alajuela, its climate is temperate humid, it has a cool / cold climate that ranges from 16ºC to 27ºC depending on the locality, since its climate is different in all its districts, it is rich in vegetation. The central sector is located at an altitude of 1000 MSNM, and the districts are at various altitudes. At its highest point, at 2,500 MSNM, is the Bosque del Niño in the Grecia Forest Reserve. Bosque del Niño Forest Reserve Highest point in the city (2,500 masl).



The Legend of Puente Piedra



The legend tells that many years ago, but many years ago, an indigenous tribe lived in the regions that now bear the names of Puente Piedra, Rincón de Arias and Argentina de Grecia. The settlements of this tribe were recently investigated by archaeologists from the National Museum and were located near the National Liquor Factory. Like all our indigenous people, they grow corn, beans, sweet potatoes, squash and various fruits; Those who exchanged cloth and belongings with neighboring tribes. But at certain times of the year the turbulent Poró River grew in such a way that it did not allow passage and the tribe then suffered great calamities.



An Indian well known for his cunning or intelligence then climbed a hill (today Cerro de los Vega) and with the help of the sorcerer invoked the master of evil, the devil himself. In the midst of thick smoke and the penetrating smell of sulfur, Satan appeared, to whom the Indian offered his soul as long as he built a bridge over the then mighty Poró. The contract was made with a singular clause, that the devil should build the bridge in a single night and finish it before the Rooster crowed when the new day awakened. The cunning Indian put a rooster in a sack and sitting in front of his campfire waited for the devil to build the bridge, stone by stone; Almost at dawn he took the poor rooster out of the bag who, seeing the great clarity of the bonfire, sang three times, thus canceling the contract although there was still a stone to finish the work. At present, the stone bridge is a beautiful and imposing mass of granite-unique in Costa Rica-whose upper part of it crosses the road and the Poró River runs below.



The hole where the stone is missing, you will be able to observe it when you visit it just 5 kilometers south of Greece, via Grecia-Puente Piedra-Fábrica Nacional de Licores.







This town is a major tourist destination especially due to its unique metallic church, which is deep red. The Catedral de las Mercedes is a Gothic-style church made with pieces of metal that were imported from Belgium in 1890. This church is as beautiful on the inside as it is imposing on the outside. Next to the church is the Regional Museum of Greece which is also worth visiting. To the north of the central park is a museum of insects and butterflies which has more than 50,000 butterflies and insects of different species.



However, the most powerful reason why tourists flock to Greece is the serpentarium "World of Snakes" which houses more than 50 species of snakes from around the world. Located one kilometer outside the city on the old Alajuela road, this snake habitat is a great place to observe the amazing reptiles in their natural environment. If you have the opportunity to go sightseeing in the surroundings go to Los Chorros Waterfalls in Tucares de Grecia, it's an excellent day trip.

---