Citalá facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Citalá
Municipality
Citalá Location in El Salvador
Country	El Salvador
Department	Chalatenango
Elevation	2,349 ft (716 m)
Population  (2013)
• Total	4,270
Patron Saint	Virgin of Concepción
Saint day	8 December

Citalá is a small town, also known as a municipality, located in the Chalatenango department of El Salvador. Its name comes from the Mayan-Ch’orti’ language and means “the river of the stars.” In 2013, about 4,270 people lived there.

Where is Citalá Located?

Citalá is about 47 kilometers (about 29 miles) away from Chalatenango. It is also very close to the border with Honduras. The town is located high up, about 788 meters (2,585 feet) above sea level. It is 119 kilometers (about 74 miles) from San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador.

What Can You See in Citalá?

One of the most important places to visit in Citalá is its old church.

The Church del Pilar-Citalá

The Church del Pilar-Citalá was probably built a very long time ago, either in the late 1600s or early 1700s. No one knows for sure who built this beautiful church.

The church is built in a style called Neoclassical. This means it uses ideas from ancient Greek and Roman buildings. The church has a yard around it, which is protected by an iron fence.

The front of the church has two main parts. The bottom part has a large arched entrance in the middle. On either side, there are two more arches that are just for decoration. Six tall, simple columns stand between these arches. The top of this lower part is shaped like a triangle, with a round window in the center.

The upper part of the church's front is also decorated with columns and arches. It has a large arch with two pairs of columns. The very top of the church tower ends in a pointed dome.

Inside the church, you can find old religious statues and important church documents from the 1700s. This ancient town was once part of a larger region called “hueytlato” or primitive Tula.

See also

In Spanish: Citalá para niños