History of Santa Rosa de Copán

The importance of Santa Rosa originates in the colonial era when the highest quality of tobacco came from this zone. In 1765 Santa Rosa was chosen as the center of the tobacco trail and the base for a large tobacco factory. This factory resulted in a large expansion of agroindustry in Western Honduras because it was responsible for distributing seeds and other supplies necessary for tobacco production to local farmers, fixing prices and selling products. The high prices of tobacco in Europe led to a migration from cities such as Gracias a Dios and Comayagua to “Los Llanos,” as Santa Rosa was named at the time. According to official documentation, by 1791 Santa Rosa already existed as a village known as “Los Llanos.” In 1812, “Los Llanos” became a municipality at which time the name was changed to Santa Rosa. During the formation of the department of Copán, which was formerly part of the department of Gracias (now Lempira), Santa Rosa was chosen as capitol of the department.

The old kiosk in central park.