Catedral Primada

Lonely Planet review

The Catedral Primada is a monumental building standing on the site where the first mass was celebrated after Bogotá's foundation in 1538. The original church was just a small thatched chapel - a more substantial building was erected in 1556-65, but collapsed soon after due to poor foundations. In 1572, the third church went up, but the earthquake of 1785 turned it into ruins. Only in 1807 was the massive building - that stands to this day - initiated and it was successfully completed by 1823.

Today, it's Bogotá's largest church. The interior is spacious and solemn, but has relatively little ornamentation. The tomb of Jiménez de Quesada, the founder of Bogotá, is in the largest chapel off the right-hand aisle. Meanwhile, it's history is still debated. Some historians argue that the first mass was celebrated on Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo, at the corner of Carrera 2 and Calle 13.