Religious, Spiritual sights in Venezuela
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A
Iglesia de la Candelaria
Seven blocks east of Plaza Bolívar amidst an area steeped in Spanish flavor, the church Iglesia de la Candelaria has richly gilded monumental retables covering the chancel's walls. The central retable dates from about 1760, while the lateral ones are modern replicas.
But the holiest place in the church for Venezuelans is doubtless the tomb of José Gregorio Hernández, in the first chapel off the right-hand aisle. Though not canonized, José Gregorio is considered more important than many official saints whose images adorn the altars of this and other churches. Yes, ask Venezuelans to name their most important saint and most will answer 'José Gregorio Hernández.' Indeed,…
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Santuario Nacional de Nuestra Señora de Coromoto
The Santuario Nacional is Venezuela's most important pilgrimage site, marking the spot where patron saint the Virgen de Coromoto allegedly appeared in 1652. The story goes that a divine apparition appeared to Indian Chief Coromoto here, urging him and his tribe to go to the white men (Spaniards) and embrace their religion. The chief did so, but it took a second appearance - and his impending death - to finally convince him to accept Christianity.
A holy image that was left with the chief was later enshrined in the church at nearby Guanare, which was a place of pilgrimage for centuries. In 1980, the construction of a new church began at the actual site of the apparition,…
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B
Catedral
Set on the eastern side of Plaza Bolívar, the catedral started its life in the mid-16th century as a mere mud-walled chapel. A church later replaced it, only to be flattened by the 1641 earthquake. Built from 1665 to 1713, the new cathedral was packed with dazzling gilded altars and elaborate side chapels. The wide, five-nave interior, supported on 32 columns, was largely remodeled in the late 19th century. The Bolívar family chapel is in the middle of the right-hand aisle and can be easily recognized by a modern sculpture of El Libertador (The Liberator) mourning his parents and Spanish bride. Bolívar was baptized here, but the baptismal font now stands in the Casa…
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C
Iglesia de San Francisco
Just south of the Capitolio Nacional, the Church of San Francisco was built in the 1570s, but was remodeled on several occasions during the 17th and 18th centuries. Guzmán Blanco, unable to resist his passion for modernizing, placed a neoclassical facade on the church to match the just-completed capitol building. Fortunately, the interior of the church didn’t undergo such an extensive alteration, so its colonial character and much of its old decoration have been preserved. Have a look at the richly gilded baroque altarpieces distributed along both sidewalls, and stop at the statue of San Onofre, in the right-hand aisle. He is the most venerated saint in the church due to…
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Iglesia del Dulce Nombre de Jesús
Founded in 1621, the independent colonial town of Petare has long since been swallowed by the metropolis but it still preserves some of its historic character. The square is occupied by the mid-18th-century Iglesia del Dulce Nombre de Jesús.
From the metro, take the 'Av Fco de Miranda' exit, cross the avenue and take one of the narrow streets uphill to the plaza. Bear in mind, however, that the neighborhood, close to sprawling slums, is considered unsafe.
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D
Iglesia Santa Capilla
This neo-Gothic church, one block north of Plaza Bolívar, is modeled on the Sainte Chapelle of Paris. It was ordered by General Antonio Guzmán Blanco in 1883 and built on the site of the first mass celebrated after the foundation of the town.
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E
Plaza Bolívar Parish Church
The Plaza Bolívar Parish Church is worth a look as it has a particularly well-preserved exterior, though its interior was radically (and rather controversially) modernized.
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