Copacabana basilica

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Basilica with the chapel

The Basilica of Copacabana or Basilica of the Virgin of Candelaria ( Spanish Basílica de la Virgen de la Candelaria de Copacabana ) is a Roman Catholic church in Copacabana on Lake Titicaca in Bolivia . The pilgrimage church in the diocese of El Alto is consecrated to the Virgin Mary under the patronage of the Virgin of Candelaria and has the rank of minor basilica . As the most important place of pilgrimage in Bolivia, the basilica is an important pilgrimage center for Bolivians and Peruvians for the veneration of the Virgin of Copacabana, patron saint of Bolivia.

history

The church on a peninsula in Lake Titicaca originally dates from 1550 and was built on the site of an Inca shrine . Between 1601 and 1619, the architect Francisco Jiménez de Siguenza built a new church in the Renaissance style and completed it in 1640 together with the atrium and the adjoining facilities. In 1651, the expansion of the chancel in today's main nave was completed. At the same time the altars and altarpieces were improved. In 1805 major renovations were completed. The special feature of the facility is the open chapel, where services can be held outdoors. On the one hand, it serves the large number of believers who come to these places, especially in early February, and on the other hand, the Indians were used to holding their religious celebrations in the open air.

In 1940 the church was given by Pope Pius XII. awarded the rank of minor basilica. In the same year the church was declared a national monument.

The building with a cross-shaped floor plan is now in the Moorish style and houses the sculpture of the famous Virgen de la Candelaria or Virgen Morena ( Dark Virgin ) in a small chapel, carved around 1580 by the local artist Francisco Tito Yupanqui , grandson of the Inca Túpac Yupanqui . The basilica is also known for the weekly car blessings that are given by both a monk and a shaman .

Web links

Commons : Copacabana Basilica  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Basilica of the Virgen de la Candelaria, Copacabana on sacredsites.com
  2. ↑ Basílica de la Virgen de la Candelaria on gcatholic.org
  3. ^ Copacabana Cathedral - Historical Building

Coordinates: 16 ° 10 ′ 0 ″  S , 69 ° 5 ′ 7 ″  W