The city's population was 2,, at the census. In , the city was named the capital of the Department of Antioquia by the National Congress of the nascent Republic of Gran Colombia , comprising present-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. Researchers at the Overseas Development Institute have lauded the city as a pioneer of a post- Washington Consensus " local development state " model of economic development.
The award seeks to recognize and celebrate efforts in furthering innovation in urban solutions and sustainable urban development. Some of the Conquistadors , such as Gaspar de Rodas , the first governor of Antioquia, came from the region of Badajoz.
Miguel Aguinaga y Mendiogoitia, Governor, made the name official on November 2, The Crown granted a coat of arms to the city on June 24, In August , Marshal Jorge Robledo was in the place known today as Heliconia when he saw in the distance what he thought was a valley.
In , Gaspar de Rodas asked the Antioquia's Cabildo for 10 square kilometers 4 sq mi of land to establish herds and a ranch in the valley. The Cabildo granted him 8 square kilometers 3 sq mi of land. Three years later, the Spaniards started the construction of the Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria , which was rebuilt at the end of the 18th century.
After , with Gaspar de Rodas settled in the valley, the population started to grow. According to the church records of the San Lorenzo Church, six couples married between and , and 41 between and Soon, the first settlers asked for the creation of a Cabildo council in the valley, thus getting a separate government from Santa Fe. The governor Miguel de Aguinaga proclaimed the royal edict on 2 November Their first buildings were simple, with thatched roofs.
