Facts about The Legend of El Dorado
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Voltaire satirized the El Dorado legend in his 1759 novel Candide, depicting it as a utopian city of immense wealth and contentment.
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Lake Guatavita in Colombia was repeatedly drained by treasure hunters over the centuries, including a large-scale attempt in 1580, in pursuit of El Dorado's legendary gold.
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Sir Walter Raleigh led expeditions to Guiana in search of El Dorado, publishing his account in a 1595 work titled The Discoverie of the Large, Rich, and Bewtiful Empyre of Guiana.
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Originally, El Dorado referred to a gilded man, a Muisca chieftain who covered himself in gold dust during ritual ceremonies at Lake Guatavita in present-day Colombia.
- 01
Spanish conquistadors searching for El Dorado, a mythical golden king or city, launched multiple expeditions into South America during the 16th century.