Barquisimeto is Venezuela's fourth-largest city and the capital of Lara state, situated at around 560 m elevation in the northwestern interior. It was among the earliest Spanish colonial settlements in Venezuela — founded in 1552 — though a catastrophic earthquake in 1812 destroyed much of the original town. Some colonial buildings survived and the city was rebuilt, mixing old and new.
The city centre has a pleasant plaza with a statue of Bolívar and is known within Venezuela for its dramatic sunsets, when the sky turns through a sequence of vivid colours over the surrounding valleys. The ultramodern cathedral, completed in 1979, is a notable piece of architecture — a design resembling a broken eggshell. The Museo de Barquisimeto on Carrera 15 has a good collection on local and regional history. Barquisimeto is also considered Venezuela's music capital, with a strong tradition of joropo and folk music.