Architecture sights in Bogotá
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A
Catedral Primada
The Plaza de Bolívar's dominating building, facing from the northeast corner, is the neoclassical Catedral Primada, which stands on the site where the first mass may have been celebrated after Bogotá had been founded in 1538 (some historians argue it happened at Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo, just east). Either way, it’s Bogotá’s largest. The original simple thatched chapel was replaced by a more substantial building in 1556–65, which later collapsed due to poor foundations. In 1572 the third church went up, but the earthquake of 1785 reduced it to ruins. Only in 1807 was the massive building – that stands to this day – initiated and it was successfully completed by 18…
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B
Church of San Francisco
Built between 1557 and 1621, the Church of San Francisco, just west of the Gold Museum, is Bogotá’s oldest surviving church. Of particular interest is the extraordinary 17th-century gilded main altarpiece, which is Bogotá’s largest and most elaborate piece of art of its kind. It’s hard to get a close look, as masses run nearly hourly all day. It’s less intrusive to look up at the green-and-gold Mudejar ornamentation of the ceiling under the organ loft.
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C
Iglesia de San Ignacio
The Iglesia de San Ignacio, on the south side of Calle 10, was begun by the Jesuits in 1610 and, although opened for worship in 1635, it was not completed until their expulsion in 1767. It was the largest church during colonial times and perhaps the most magnificent. It’s undergoing a long-winded renovation. Hopefully, when it reopens, visitors should be able to see one of the city’s most richly decorated churches.
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D
Iglesia del Carmen
The most recently built church in Bogotá's colonial quarter, the Iglesia del Carmen was inaugurated in 1938. It's an impressive piece of architecture, resembling a colorful wedding cake. The interior boasts fine stained-glass windows and a mosaic of the Virgen del Carmen over the high altar.
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E
Iglesia de San Diego
A lovely whitewashed church built as part of a Franciscan monastery at the beginning of the 17th century. At that time it was well outside the town; today it is surrounded by the forest of high-rise buildings that form the Centro Internacional.
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F
Iglesia la Tercera
Just north along Carrera 7 and next door to the Iglesia de la Veracruz is the Iglesia La Tercera, with a fine stone facade and lovely wood-carved altars in walnut and cedar set on white walls below a wood-carved ceiling.
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G
Iglesia de La Concepción
The Iglesia de La Concepción, the second-oldest existing church in Bogotá (after San Francisco), is noted for its extraordinary Mudejar vault, brought from Seville and installed in the presbytery.
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