Grecia, Costa Rica

Grecia is a district of the Grecia canton, in the Alajuela province of Costa Rica. Grecia has an area of

Geography

Grecia has an area of and an elevation of . is northwest of the provincial capital city of Alajuela, from Juan Santamaría International Airport, and from the national capital city of San José.

History

Pre-Columbian Era

Grecia, and its neighboring districts, was previously inhabited by indigenous peoples belonging to the Western Huetar Kingdom. This presence occurred during the reign of King Garabito. The first group of settlers, who later became bosses to future settlers, found the unestablished land to be very fertile. Furthermore, the state government motivated these travelers to discover pathways up North by offering them incentives.

Initially approved to be designed as a doric style brick temple, the Church of Our Lady of Mercy is built with neoclassical influence due to Angel Miguel Velasquez, secretary of public works at the time who introduced the design to the district.

There are several urban legends about this church. One recounts how the church was donated by some foreign country, and sent to Greece as a gift, but was wrongly shipped to Grecia, Costa Rica. Another legend states that the final destination of the church was the city of Punta Arenas in Chile but was disembarked, by mistake, in the port of Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and later sent to the city of Grecia, where it was assembled.

However, records clearly show that the instruction, shipment, and construction of the church were a coordinated effort of Grecia's population, the Catholic Church, the Costa Rican government, and Alejo E. Jiménez Bonnefil (1858–1922), a Costa Rican coffee producer and exporter who was in charge of commanding and importing the church from the manufacturer in Belgium, in the late 19th century. The Vamos al Parque program, in collaboration with the University of Costa Rica, developed events such as free art, education, and recreation activities for its residents.

Flora and fauna

A toucan named Grecia is the first toucan to receive a prosthetic beak. Its name is due to where the bird was found injured prior to its admission to the Rescate Wildlife Rescue Center (formerly Rescate Animal Zoo Ave), south of the city.

Demographics

In June 2023, the population of Grecia was predicted to be 16,158—an 8% increase over 2011.

In the district, population is predicted to vary by age, with 21.4% at age 19 and under, 6.5% from 20 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64 and 11.1% who were 65 or more.

Government and politics

thumb|Francisco Murillo Quesada, the Current Mayor of Grecia

The local government of the district of Grecia is that of the Grecia canton—Grecia is a district in the Grecia canton. The municipality serves every district in the canton and its main responsibility is to administer local services and satisfy the interests of its residents. In 2020, Francisco Murillo Quesada, a lawyer, became the mayor of the Grecia canton. This also made him the mayor of the district of Grecia. He succeeded Minor Molina in May 2020.

The district of Grecia is one of the seven districts that belong to the local government of the Grecia canton.