sentences:  Samacá began as a settlement of a large lagoon which was known by the native name of "Lake of Cansicá" or "Valley of the Lake" ("la laguna de Cansicá").Around the lagoon were three native settlements called Patagüy, Foacá and Sáchica.Samacá was ruled by the "zaque" of nearby Hunza and the modern town was founded on January 1, 1556 by Juan de los Barrios.