Religious tourism and pilgrimage
In Panama’s central region, what was known as Castilla del Oro during colonial times, predominates a great historical root, which is highlighted in the great amount of traditional and religious festivals that are celebrated throughout the year, and which constitute the seal that identifies socially and culturally each of these communities. For this, with the vision of engineer Richard Fifer Carles, the Castilla del Oro Foundation, pretends to exploit this tourism potential.
Religious tourism in Panama represents an area to be exploited in the central provinces, for which the Castilla del Oro Foundation pretends to drive projects and works directed to highlight the monuments and festivities that marked the tradition of these areas.
They consist on pilgrimage dates and celebrations that attract thousands of people who come from different parts of the country to each of these areas, either because of their family origins or because of their religious convictions.
The Castilla del Oro Foundation presence in Cocle
If the Castilla del Oro Foundation has accomplished something so far, with the leadership of engineer Richard Fifer Carles, is marking its presence in the Cocle province, with works and projects that have changed the image of this region of the central area of the country, thanks to the benefits generated by the mining activity of Petaquilla Gold SA.
Because of this contribution, the Castilla del Oro Foundation has built in the city of Penonome the Paseo Andaluz, Amphitheater and Restaurant, as well as the Park of the San Antonio community, and the conditioning of the recreation area in San Antonio, structures that have boosted the tourism activity of this district.
The Foundation also made the design, logistic support and supply of shells and the image of Santiago Apostle for the church in the Nata Township, which was delivered by the international president of this organization, the Duke of Veragua, Cristobal Colon de Carvajal.
Tourism projects in Cocle move forward
A work filled with tourist symbolism executes the Castilla del Oro Foundation in the district of Penonome: the construction of the entrance of the Castilla del Oro Project as the curtain that invites the tourists to enjoy all the cultural, historical, and religious wealth that characterizes the communities of four provinces of the country.
Near by this landmark, the Foundation, with the vision of engineer Richard Fifer Carles, also works in the renovation of the Alicia Theater for Convention Center, located at the Damian Carles street, township of Penonome.
In Veraguas, the Foundation will renovate the Placita San Juan de Dioos, in the Santiago township, as well as installing a lighting system in the Central Avenue, and the paving of the region’s Old Quarters.
In San Francisco de La Montana, the Castilla del Oro Foundation will build the town’s entrance arch and will renovate the San Francisco Church’s tower, while they are renovating the San Sebastian Inn in Ocu; and in Las Tablas, they are building the Casa de la Cultura “Climaco Batista Diaz”
We have to bet on tourism that offers a unique product, instead of a mass one stated Ruiz Pena
Like Fort San Lorenzo
We have to bet on tourism that offers a unique product, instead of a mass one stated Ruiz Pena
The director of the Public Enterprises of the Autonomous Region of Extremadura in Spain, Jaime Ruiz Pena, during his visit to Panama, stated that they have to bet on a tourism that is not massive but that offers a unique product, like Fort San Lorenzo, which could become the tourism engine of the Colonial Colon.
During his visit to this place, invited by the Castilla del Oro Foundation in Panama, a project led by entrepreneur Richard Fifer Carles, Ruiz Pena said that the Fort’s structure makes it suitable for fitting rooms, and also offers the possibility of creating a line of products and souvenirs with the San Lorenzo stamp for the visitors.
Petaquilla Gold S.A. has three nurseries for the revegetation and soil recovery program
The Petaquilla Gold. S.A. company, has three nurseries with more than 60 thousand scions each one producing and cultivating about 30 thousand forestal plant seeds and revegetation that is part of the soil revegetation program and recovery of explored areas that the company carries out, in the Donoso district, Colon province.
With the purpose of fulfilling this commitment, the Petaquilla Gold, S.A. company, led by mining impresario Richard Fifer-Carles furnished three nurseries, the first in the Villa Del Carmen community, a gathering center for ornamental plants, with capacity for 60 thousand scions; La Ceiba, where about 30 thousand forestal and revegetation seeds are produced and cultivated and the Molejón nursery, where 30 thousand species are produced.
Petaquilla signs agreement for future
Given the rosy picture of gold’s behavior in international markets, Petaquilla Gold, S. A. signed an agreement of gold paid in advance with the Deutsche Bank for $45 million dollars, according to the international consultant in economic geology, Stuart Redwood, in an article entitled “The Sun Rises on Panamanian Mining”, published in the journal Planet which is edited by the Mining Chamber of Panama (CAMIPA).
Under engineer Richard Fifer Carles’s leadership, Petaquilla Gold, S. A. will deliver 55,650 ounces of gold to the bank for a period of five years and will receive an additional cash payment if the price of gold exceeds $875 per ounce to a maximum of $1,290.
Currently the price of an ounce of gold is trading above $1,828 dollars, according to Preciooro.com.
A milestone in the Panamanian mining industry
The year 2010 marked a before and after in the Panamanian mining industry, when the Petaquilla Golds, S.A. company lead by the businessman Richard Fifer- Carles reached a level of production to extract gold in the mine of Molejon, after the government gave the approval in November of 2009, confirmed the international consulter in economic geology Stuart Redwood, in an article titled “ He only comes out in the mining of Panama”, published in the magazine Planet which is edited by the Chamber of Mining of Panama (CAMIPA).
Redwood quotes declaration of the president and executive of Petaquilla, Gold, S.A., Joao Manuel, who said that “to reach the commercial production in our gold mine of Molejon is a historical milestone for the company, as well as for the mining Industry in Panama”.
“Our project is making a significant contributions in the sustainable economic development for the region, providing jobs for the local people and a support for local commercial establishments, in complete respect to the highest environmental standards”, said Manuel.
Working together for La Castilla del Oro progress
September 2011
The job of the municipal governments in La Castilla del Oro, is a contribution that La Castilla del Oro Foundation needs, to accomplish the sustainable development of the region based on Spiritual Tourism. Thus remarked Richard Fifer – Carles driving force of the Foundation and Pascual Montañés Duato the Foundation President in Panamá, “we will develop Second Generation Social Responsibility; sponsoring the sustainable development of the region with independence from the mining project”.
SENSITIZE TOURISM INSTITUTIONS
Working alongside the municipal authorities with the end goal of sensitizing the governmental touristic institutions about the enormous potential in this region, and thus obtain the financial backing to carry out endowments necessary for its development.
Restore parks and plazas in the different municipalities, create pedestrian zones where activities can be developed, adequately signal the regions that constitute La Castilla del Oro, restore museums or create new ones are some of the challenges outlined for short and medium terms.
Petaquilla Gold, S. A. celebrates Miners Day
In a small ceremony, Petaquilla Gold, S. A. celebrated on St. Laurence’s Day, the patron saint of miners, an event in which engineer Richard Fifer – Carles recognized the important work of the employees in the Molejón mining project.
“This August, for the first time, we planted the seed of a new culture, a working professional activity of great dignity which is to extract those resources that our homeland has shared and that providence has agreed to share with us all,” Fifer Carles said.
Calañas: cultural mixture, civilization encounter (3)
Madrid, September of 2011
The foundation La Castilla del Oro, disembarks with a new project in Spain, more precisely in Huelva (Hill of Andevalo). Therefore we invite you to meet the history, customs and life in general; of this place in Old Europe, in which the Foundation La Castilla del Oro takes on a new challenge. It develops what is denominated by its driver, the engineer Richard Fifer- Carles; Social responsibility of the Second Generation.
REAL CONFLICTS AND CONCESSIONS
After a hard and bloody process of re-conquest, not exempt to changes of power and control derived from conflicts and real concessions, Calañas passed to become part of the Niebla County , under the power of the Count of Niebla and Duke of Medina Sidonia, Don Juan Alonso de Guzman.
In 1369, Don Juan Alonso Perez de Guzman, Lord of Sanlucar de Barrameda, that had been in combat in the previous civil war in defense of Enrique of Trastamara, he formed marriage with the niece of the king, Doña Juana de Castilla.

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