The Hidden Codex: Cartagena of the Learned, Libraries, and Literary Gatherings of the 21st Century

Origins

The image of Cartagena as a city of beaches, bars, and walls is powerful, but incomplete. Since its founding in 1533, this city was a melting pot of learned men, a meeting point for clergy, enlightened merchants, and later, intellectuals who challenged the status quo. Cartagena's literary DNA is not a modern invention; it is etched into its stones. During the colonial period, the Holy Office of the Inquisition reviewed and censored every book that entered through its ports, creating a curious tension: the city was, at once, a customs house for ideas and a hotbed of clandestine reading.

The first "learned men" were not writers in the romantic 19th-century sense, but lawyers, priests, and royal officials who amassed impressive private libraries. In the 18th century, figures like Bishop Juan de Ladrada or the physician José Celestino Mutis (who spent time in the city) promoted the study of sciences and humanities. But the real turning point came with independence. After 1811, when Cartagena declared its absolute independence, local intellectuals began using the pen as a political weapon. Thus was born a tradition of literary gatherings and societies that, with ups and downs, has remained alive until June 2026.

What many tourists ignore is that, beneath the noise of traffic and the smell of fried food, Cartagena harbors a network of centuries-old libraries, dusty archives, and halls where poetry is still debated. This article is a guide for those who want to find that hidden city.

Timeline or Historical Milestones

• 1533: Founding of Cartagena. The first convents (San Francisco, Santo Domingo) accumulate bibles and theological texts that will form the basis of the city's first public library.
• 1610: Installation of the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition. "Heretical" books are burned in the Plaza de la Yerba (today's Bolívar Square). Paradox: the same tribunal creates an archive of forbidden texts that is now a historical gem.
• 1777: Bishop José María de la Torre founds the Public Library of Cartagena, precursor to the current Bartolomé Calvo Library. Its original shelves held texts by Voltaire and Rousseau, smuggled in by Jewish and Masonic merchants.
• 1850: The literary society "El Mosaico" is founded in the home of poet José María de Zubiría. There, poems by Gregorio Gutiérrez González were read in public for the first time, and the abolition of slavery was discussed.
• 1880: In the home of President Rafael Núñez (today the Customs House Museum), gatherings mix politics, literature, and law. Núñez, author of the 1886 Constitution, was also a poet and essayist.
• 1923: Inauguration of the University of Cartagena Library in the Claustro de San Agustín. Figures like Luis Carlos López ("El Tuerto López") and Manuel Zapata Olivella walked its halls.
• 1950-1970: Golden age of used bookstores on Calle del Cuartel and Calle de la Amargura. Booksellers like Don Manuel "El Griego" sold first editions of García Márquez before he was famous.
• 1990: The Poetry Festival of Cartagena is created, bringing international poets to the Camellón de los Mártires for a decade. Though it declined, it left a seed that now flourishes in events like "Poesía en el Camellón".
• 2010-present: Resurgence of literary gatherings in bars and cultural houses. The Librería Ábaco (founded in 1996) becomes the epicenter of poetry readings and book launches.

Key Figures or Events

Rafael Núñez: the poet president

Better known for his national anthem than his verses, Rafael Núñez (1825-1894) was a complete intellectual. He wrote political essays, romantic poems, and translated French authors. His home in the Historic Center (Calle de la Factoría with Calle del Sargento Mayor) was a literary salon where generals, journalists, and high-society ladies mingled. There, the idea of a "Regeneration" was conceived, which, though controversial, defined Colombian political literature. Today, the house is a museum that holds his personal library, with over 3,000 volumes, many with handwritten annotations.

Luis Carlos López: the irreverent poet

Known as "El Tuerto López" (1879-1950), he was the first person from Cartagena to publish a book of poems that transcended local borders. His work "De mi villorrio" portrays a provincial Cartagena, full of street characters and mordant critiques of social hypocrisy. López frequented the Librería La Gran Colombia (now disappeared) and organized gatherings at the Cafetería El Astoria, a place that no longer exists but was the meeting point for bohemians in the 1920s. His legacy is remembered each year at the Luis Carlos López Poetry Encounter, held at the Bartolomé Calvo Library.

Manuel Zapata Olivella: the Afro-Caribbean writer

Born in 1920 in Lorica (Córdoba), but adopted by Cartagena, Manuel Zapata Olivella is one of the most important novelists of the Colombian Caribbean. His work "Changó, el gran putas" is a monument to the African diaspora. In Cartagena, he lived in the Getsemaní neighborhood and was an active member of the Sociedad de Mejoras Públicas, where he promoted popular reading. His personal library, donated to the University of Cartagena, is one of the richest collections in Afro-Colombian literature. Each year, in his honor, the Afro-Colombian Week is held at the Banco de la República Library.

Germán Espinosa: the novelist of the city

Author of "La tejedora de coronas" (1982), Germán Espinosa (1938-2007) is the novelist who has best portrayed colonial and contemporary Cartagena. His work mixes history, eroticism, and social critique. Espinosa was a regular at the Librería Ábaco (Calle de la Universidad, # 36-44) and participated in the gatherings of the Club Cartagena, a private society founded in 1920 that still exists. His home, in the Manga neighborhood, is now a cultural center that organizes creative writing workshops.

The key event: the 1911 Public Library fire

A little-known fact: in the early morning of March 15, 1911, a fire almost completely destroyed the old Public Library of Cartagena, then located in the Palace of the Inquisition. Over 10,000 volumes were lost, including colonial manuscripts and first editions of independence-era literature. The fire was attributed to a short circuit, but popular rumors claimed it was an act of censorship by the Church to eliminate "dangerous" texts. From that disaster, only 300 books were saved, which today are the most valuable treasure of the Bartolomé Calvo Library.

Current State

Libraries with history: hidden gems

Today, in June 2026, Cartagena boasts two historic libraries that are a must-stop for any book lover:

• Bartolomé Calvo Library (Calle de la Inquisición, # 39-01): Founded in 1777, it is the oldest in the city. It houses the "Books Saved from the Fire" collection, with texts from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Free admission. Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Saturdays, 9am to 1pm. Guided tours are available on Wednesdays at 10am (reservation required). Fun fact: in its basement, there is a tunnel that, according to legend, connected to the Palace of the Inquisition.
• Banco de la República Library (Calle de la Universidad, # 36-24): Inaugurated in 1923, it is the most modern of the historic ones. Its collection includes the complete works of Gabriel García Márquez in first editions, and an archive of 19th-century Cartagena newspapers. Free admission. Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm; Saturdays, 9am to 5pm. It has a silent reading room with a view of the Claustro de San Agustín.

Used bookstores and new gatherings

The tradition of used bookstores has been revived in recent years. Although many closed in the 90s, today you can find treasures at:

• Librería Ábaco (Calle de la Universidad, # 36-44): The most famous independent bookstore in Cartagena. They sell new and used books, and organize literary gatherings on Thursdays at 7pm. Book prices: from $15,000 COP to $120,000 COP for rare editions. It is recommended to check hours before visiting.
• Librería La Trastienda (Calle del Sargento Mayor, # 38-12): Specialized in books on the history of the Colombian Caribbean. They have a section of ancient manuscripts. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm. Prices: from $20,000 COP.
• Book stalls in the Plaza de la Aduana: On weekends, street vendors offer used books, many of which are out of print. It is a paradise for rarity hunters. Prices from $5,000 COP.

Current literary events

If you are in Cartagena and want to immerse yourself in the literary scene, these are the events you cannot miss:

• "Poesía en el Camellón de los Mártires": Every Saturday at 5pm, at the Camellón de los Mártires (facing the sea, between the Torre del Reloj and the Baluarte de Santo Domingo). Local and international poets read their works in the open air. Free admission. Bring your own chair or cushion.
• Gathering of the Sociedad de Mejoras Públicas (Calle de la Factoría, # 38-08): Every Tuesday at 6:30pm. Books by Colombian authors are discussed. Open to the public, but it is recommended to arrive 15 minutes early to secure a spot. Free admission.
• Cartagena Reading Festival (March of each year): Organized by the University of Cartagena, it includes talks, workshops, and book fairs. In June 2026, this year's edition will take place from March 15 to 20. Prices: free events and others from $10,000 COP.

How to join a current gathering: addresses and access codes

Literary gatherings in Cartagena are not closed clubs, but they have their unwritten codes. Here is how to get in:

• Gathering at Librería Ábaco (Thursday, 7pm): No reservation needed. Just show up, buy a coffee (from $4,000 COP), and sit at the long table in the back. The atmosphere is informal. It is recommended to have read the book of the month (announced on their Instagram @libreriaabaco).
• Gathering at Casa del Poeta (Calle de la Amargura, # 39-22): Every Wednesday at 6pm. It is more intimate, with about 15 attendees. To attend, write an email to Casa del Poeta (we do not have the email, but you can ask at the reception of the Bartolomé Calvo Library). Free admission.
• Reading Circle at the Banco de la República Library (last Saturday of each month, 10am): Open to the public. You only need to bring your ID or passport to register at the entrance. Books from the library's collection are discussed.

Fun fact: the lost manuscript of García Márquez

In 2023, during a renovation of the Bartolomé Calvo Library, an unpublished manuscript by Gabriel García Márquez was found, dated 1952. It is a short story titled "El último viaje del buque fantasma", which the author had mentioned in interviews but was believed lost. The manuscript is now on display in the library, in a humidity-controlled case. You can see it Monday to Friday, 9am to 12pm. It is a treasure few tourists know about.

A call to intellectual travelers

Cartagena is not just sun and rum. It is a city where, if you know where to look, you can find the echo of gatherings that changed history, libraries that survived fires, and booksellers who keep secrets between yellowed pages. In June 2026, the literary scene is more alive than ever, with new collectives of young poets and events that mix oral tradition with digital literature.

If you want to stay informed about secret literary events (gatherings in private homes, poetry readings on rooftops, book launches in hidden bars), we invite you to subscribe to the monthly newsletter of secret literary events in Cartagena. Write to us through the contact form on Malokal (malokal.com) and we will add you to the list. We do not share email addresses or spam. Only literature, alive and streetwise.