Heredia is a district in the Heredia canton of Heredia province, Costa Rica, as the seat of the municipality of Heredia canton, it is awarded the status of city, and in virtue of being the city of the first canton, it is the Province Capital of Heredia province as well. It is 10 kilometers to the north of the country's capital, San José. The city is home to one of the largest colleges in Costa Rica, the National University of Costa Rica, which accepts many international students.
History
Prior to its founding, the area around Heredia was inhabited by the native tribe that is known as the Huetares, who were commanded at the coming of the Spanish by the Cacique Garavito. In 1706 settlers from Cartago, set up a small church at a place they called "Alvirilla", which soon became more populated. Between 1716 and 1717 the settlers moved their village to the north, to a place the Indians called Cubujuquí. In 1736 Heredia was deemed sufficiently large to be granted its own parish, and the first incarnation of the Iglesia de la Inmaculada was built to serve as its parish church. In 1751, the Bishop of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, Monseñor Pedro Agustín Morel de Santa Cruz supervised the founding of the first school in Heredia, which was run by the church. This school is now known as the Liceo de Heredia. In 1763 the town was promoted to the status of Villa; it was later renamed Heredia in honor of the President of the Real Audiencia of Guatemala who had conferred the status, don Alonso Fernández de Heredia. During the 18th century the area around Heredia was developed, with the founding Barva and other towns. On 31 October 1796, Padre Felix de Alvarado laid the foundation stone for the rebuilding of the Iglesia de la Inmaculada. The Municipality of Heredia was founded on 19 May 1812, and in 1824, Heredia was promoted to city by Juan Rafael Mora, the first President of the Republic. The 1848 constitution made Heredia the capital of Heredia Province, promoted it to cantón, and assigned it seven parishes. For a brief period in the 1830s, Heredia served as the capital of Costa Rica.
Warm year-round, the temperatures are tempered by the amount of cloud cover that affects the area. The rains are spread throughout the year, but the rainiest period is May to October. The climate is relatively mild throughout the year.
Alfredo González Flores - President of Costa Rica from 1914 to 1917. His home, the House of Culture-Alfredo Gonzales Flores, was declared a National Monument in November 1974.
