The colonial city of Leon was founded by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba in the year 1524 next to Lake Xolotlan and the active M
omotombo volcano. There were important indigenous towns in the area. The city was actually built next to the town known as Imabite but in the year 1610 it was moved to its current location after being destroyed by a series of eruptions from the Momotombo volcano and the city was basically buried. That is why the city is called the Central American Pompeii. Located 58 miles from Managua, Leon maintains the colonial style in its streets and buildings. Its beautiful Baroque styled Cathedral claims to be the largest in Central America, is a UNESCO world heritage site, and the final resting spot for poet Ruben Dario who initiated the Spanish-American literary movement known as modernismo (modernism) that flourished at the end of the 19th century.