In the late 19th century, in the town of La Candelaria, many residents of Medellín walked barefoot along its cobbled streets. Some did so out of habit, others out of necessity, as shoes were a status symbol that few could afford. For the peasants with broad feet, accustomed to the harsh terrain, footwear was a dispensable luxury.
Throughout the 19th century, the city had no street lighting, plunging its streets into the darkness of night. Only the light of the full moon on clear nights allowed the townspeople to go out for a stroll. In homes, cooking was done over a wood fire, and popular entertainment was limited to the occasional visit by a third-rate opera company. As the sun set, Medellín settled down early, enveloped in the tranquillity of the night.
With no newspapers, no social clubs and no cafés in which to socialise, life in the small town followed a monotonous routine, in which religion and the home were society’s main refuges. However, it was this very tranquillity that laid the foundations for the transformation which, in the 20th century, would turn Medellín into a vibrant and constantly evolving city.
