Application of Aristotle’s Vision of the City to the Foundation of Santafe de Bogota

Abstract

This article presents the most representative ideas that influenced the conception of the imaginary of the city of Bogota during its foundation in the sixteenth century. Three key moments are proposed: First, there is an approach to Aristotle’s thinking, whereby six characteristics were inferred by humanist and Renaissance authors, and later applied by the Spanish Crown to give shape and order to sixteenth and seventeenth century city foundations through town councils. The second moment shows the influence of Aristotle’s thinking in men like Saint Thomas Aquinas and Leon Battista Alberti, besides those conceptions of magic deeds and men disregard in order to enforce control over place and abidance. Each one of these conceptions influenced the manner Spanish conquerors established relations with this territory and with Indian or Black people. The third moment regards an approach to the sort of city of the sixteenth century, orthogonally -checker board- framed established for achieving order and social control.