Sights in Tunja
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Iglesia y Convento de Santa Clara La Real
Founded in 1571, the Iglesia y Convento de Santa Clara La Real is thought to be the first convent in Nueva Granada. In 1863 the nuns were expelled and the convent was used for various purposes, including serving as a hospital. The church, however, continued to provide religious services. The single-naved church interior shelters a wealth of colonial artwork on its walls, most of which comes from the 16th to 18th centuries. Note the golden sun on the ceiling, a Spanish trick to help the indígenas convert to Catholicism (the sun was the principal god of the Muisca people). Next to the choir is the cell where Madre Francisca Josefa, a mystic nun looked upon as Colombia’s St…
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Iglesia de Santo Domingo
The nondescript exterior of the mid-16th-century Iglesia de Santo Domingo hides one of the most richly decorated interiors in Colombia. To the left as you enter is the large Capilla del Rosario, dubbed La Capilla Sixtina del Arte Neogranadino (Sistine Chapel of New Granada’s Art). Decorated by Fray Pedro Bedón from Quito, the chapel is exuberantly rich in wonderful, gilded wood carving – a magnificent example of Hispano-American baroque art. The statue of the Virgen del Rosario in the altar niche is encrusted in mother-of-pearl and clad with mirrors.
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Casa del Fundador Suárez Rendón
One of the finest historic mansions in town is the Casa del Fundador Suárez Rendón, the original home of the founder of Tunja. Built in the mid-16th century on the eastern side of Plaza de Bolívar, it’s a fine example of a magnificent aristocratic residence from the times of the Spanish Conquest. Its most interesting feature is the ceiling, covered with intriguing scenes that were only recently discovered when a ceiling collapsed. There’s also a good bookstore and artisan workshops.
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Casa Cultural Gustavo Rojas Pinilla
This small but lovely colonial home was the birthplace of Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, who became president of Colombia in a 1953 military coup with promises of reform. Instead, his tenure was marked by corruption and brutality until he too was overthrown three years later. The ground floor contains an art gallery with regular exhibits by local art students. Upstairs, a small museum explores Pinilla’s life through photographs, documents and personal belongings.
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Casa de Don Juan de Vargas
Once home to scribe Juan de Vargas, Casa de Don Juan de Vargas is a splendid 16th-century residence. It also has been converted into a museum and has a collection of colonial artworks on display. The most captivating features here are the ceilings, covered with eclectic paintings.
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Iglesia de San Francisco
Iglesia de San Francisco, built from 1550 to 1572, boasts a splendid main retable framed into an elaborate gilded arch at the entrance to the presbytery. Note the impressively realistic sculpture of Christ (carved in 1816), Cristo de los Mártires.
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Catedral Santiago de Tunja
Catedral Santiago de Tunja on Plaza de Bolívar is Tunja’s largest church and stylistically the most complex, dating to 1554.
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Iglesia de San Agustín
Iglesia de San Agustín, now a library, faces Parque Pinzón on a site believed to be the heart of Hunza, the Musica capital.
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Iglesia de Santa Bárbara
Iglesia de Santa Bárbara was completed in 1599; its Capilla de la Epístola has an outstanding Mudejar ceiling.
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