The history of Monserrate can be considered
to begin in the 1620 to 1630, where the Cofradia de la Vera Cruz (Brotherhood
of Vera Cruz) began using the Monserrate's hill top, then known as the Snow
hill top for religious celebration. As time passed, many devoted residents of
Bogota began participating in the climb to the hill top, it wasn't until 1650
that four gentlemen met with the Archbishop as well as Juan de Borga the head
of the Tribunal of Santafe in order to secure permission to build a small
religious retreat on the mountain top. The founders of the retreat. The
founders decided to
