An unassuming small town in the province of Coclé hides a lot of fascinating history, all of which you can re-live on Monday, May 20, when the town marks the 497th anniversary of its founding with commemorative activities.
Natá de los Caballeros was founded on May 20, 1522, and is the second oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas, after Panama City. Prior to the Spanish, the territory was ruled by the cacique Anatá and was already an important population center. In 1516, when Gaspar de Espinosa, the Mayor of Castilla de Oro, arrived, he was amazed by the formidable number of villagers his party encountered.
The town’s name not only immortalizes Natá, the cacique, but also the arrival of 100 caballeros sent by direct order of Carlos V, King of Spain. Of the noble class, the knights were tasked with maintaining dominion over the indigenous population, maintaining Spanish culture and customs and spreading the Catholic faith.
The greatest claim to fame for Natá de los Caballeros is its church. Considered the oldest on the continent, it was built in the 16th century. Of note is its wooden altar, with intricate carvings that syncretize indigenous and Spanish Catholic symbolism. The bell tower, which served as a military lookout for the Spanish, offers spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. Facing the church, on the town’s central plaza, are four mysterious, half-buried circular stones. These were the mill stones that crushed and ground the material used in building the church.
