Quito History
It believes that the first inhabitants of Quito were the members of “Quitu” tribe who lived in this zone thousand years ago and were conquered by the Caras tribe, which founded the Kingdom of Quito around 980 ac. But the legend says that the ancient city was founded by Qitumbe a mythological personage who was son of the god Quitu whose name originated the name of the city.
Four centuries after Caras’s conquest, the general Inca Rumiñaui arrived to this zone in 1487 and he transformed the little town into a great urban center which served as northern nexus of the Great Inca Empire.
A few years later in 1533 the city was burned by order of Rumiñahui who believed that Spanish could take it. Next year, Francisco Pizarro arrived to the zone and founded for second time the city on August 15, 1534 with the name of “San Francisco de Quito” but the battles amongst conquerors and natives led by Rumiñahui continued. Finally on December 6, 1534 (this is the official foundation’s date which is celebrated until now) the city was founded again by Sebastian de Benalcázar, the Spanish conqueror that defeated and captured to Rumiñahui who was killed the next year in January.
At the beginning the city was composed only by the actual Downtown and the Panecillo hill and only there had 204 inhabitants. In 1535 it founded the school of art of Quito, which became the second most important school of art in South America (the first was the school of Cusco). Quito quickly turned into an administrative and religious centre. During the XVI century the first temples were constructed by the natives who worked in these projects almost as slaves; churches like San Francisco, Santo Domingo and San Agustin date from this period. In 1556 Quito was declared city, being named “Muy Noble y Muy Leal ciudad de San Francisco de Quito” (Very Noble and Loyal City of San Francis of Quito). The city belonged to Vice-Royalty of Peru whose capital was Lima during XVI and XVII centuries.
The first battles against Spanish troops for the Independence began at the beginning of XIX century when in 1809 a political group led by Juan Pío Montufar established a provisional government in the city but this group was defeated on August 2, 1810 by Spanish troops which came from Lima , Peru. Twelve years after that fact on May 24, 1822 the army of Simon Bolivar led by Antonio José de Sucre defeated definitely to the Spanish troops in the Pichincha battle, that same day the main citizens of Quito proclaimed the Independence and decided that Quito be part of the Republic of Great Colombia. Some years later Quito and other cities of the zone decided to secede from Colombia and created the actual Ecuador.
Throughout the republican history, the city has been scene of many demonstrations and political violence. Many revolutions and several assassinations of political leaders have taken place here. The last years the situation has been similar, great demonstrations brought down several presidents like Abdalá Bucaram, Jamil Mahuad y Lucio Gutierrez. Now the president of Ecuador is Gustavo Correa and by now the life in Quito is calm and stable.
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