Botero is a surname of Italian origin, common in Colombia and along with other similar variants (Boter, Boteri, Botter, Botteri, Bottero), it originated in the Piedmont region of Italy, more specifically, in the town of Bene Vagienna, province of Cuneo. In the present time, Colombia is the country with the largest number of people holding this surname. The founder of this family in Colombia was Giovanni Andrea Botero Bernavi, born in the Republic of Genoa, region of Liguria, Italy. Origin and etymology It is an occupational surname that originated in the Middle Ages, around year 500 CE, during which time people made barrels for the storage and transportation of liquids and solids such as wine, water, honey, gunpowder, grains, salt and sugar. At that time, when the Piedmont region was part of the Roman Empire, Boterus was the name given to the people who made the barrels in the town of Bene Vagienna. Giovanni Botero, an important character born in Bene In the town of Bene Vagienna, around year 1533 CE. Jesuit priest, statesman, economist and writer Giovanni Botero Benese was born. He was the author of literary works such as The Reason of State (Della ragion di Stato) of 1589 and On the Causes of the Greatness and Magnificence of Cities (Delle cause della grandezza e magnificenza delle città) of 1588, among others. He spent his childhood in a Piedmont region occupied and looted by foreign powers of the time and received religious education since his adolescence, attending the Society of Jesus School in the city of Palermo, thanks to the help of his uncle, the Jesuit Father Giovenale Botero, who held a religious position in that city. He was known for his literary, religious, historical and political works, but he is also considered one of the greatest Italian mercantilists. In the 18th century, in his honor, a monument was built in Bene Vagienna in the so-called Piazza Botero, a central square located in front of the Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta) and surrounded by historic buildings, such as the town hall Comune di Bene Vagienna. Likewise, in honor of Botero, streets bearing his name were built in the cities of Turin, Rome and Rimini, in Italy. Foundation of the Botero surname in Colombia This surname arrived in today's Republic of Colombia, in the 18th century, after the arrival of the Genoese Giovanni Andrea