Basilica of Our Lady of Coromoto

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Aerial view of the basilica
Interior of the church
Exterior view of the side of the altar

The Basilica of Our Lady of Coromoto is a Venezuelan national shrine 25 kilometers north of the city of Guanare in the province of Portuguesa . The Roman Catholic pilgrimage church of the diocese of Guanare is consecrated to Mary under invocation of the patron saint of Venezuela, Our Lady of Coromoto , and bears the title of a minor basilica . The church was built in the style of brutalism and was completed in 1996.

history

The sanctuary was built on the site of the second apparition of the Virgin of Coromoto. The architect Erasmo Calvani designed the church in 1975 and construction took place from 1982 to 1996. Pope John Paul II consecrated the sanctuary on February 10th during his first trip abroad of the year. In 2007 Pope Benedict XVI. the church to the rank of minor basilica.

description

The church was designed as a reinforced concrete structure in the style of brutalism. The special structure of the dome rises above the church, forming a double elliptical hyperboloid . The desk-like surface towards the entrance illuminates the altar area through a large, cross-shaped window, it reaches a height of 54 meters. Its two towers above the entrance area are almost 80 meters high. The interior of the church holds 2500 people, the space in front of the basilica can accommodate up to 50,000 believers. The windows are decorated with stained glass by the artist Guillermo Márquez. The church has marble floors and three altars. Behind the main altar, above the flags of the Vatican and Venezuela, the throne of the Virgin Mary is depicted as the Virgin of Coromoto appeared to an Indian on September 8, 1652. The chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is located in the altar in the left aisle. The right altar is dedicated to John the Baptist and serves as the place of baptism .

Web links

Commons : Basilica of Our Lady of Coromoto  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Basílica Menor Santuario Nacional Nuestra Señora de Coromoto on gcatholic.org
  2. ^ SOS brutalism. An international inventory . Park Books, Zurich 2017, ISBN 978-3-03860-074-9 .
  3. ↑ Homily on the Consecration of the Sanctuary (Spanish)
  4. ↑ a b History of the Church (Spanish)

Coordinates: 8 ° 54'55.5 "  N , 69 ° 46'22.4"  W.