The front
Towers, a clock and round windows.
Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) — CC BY-SA 4.0 · David Broad — CC BY 3.0 · Joel Diplan — CC BY 3.0 · IgnacioAFQ — Public domain
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels is a large Catholic church in the city of Cartago, among the best-known religious landmarks in Costa Rica. Its white and grey front and domes show from far off above the town centre, and visitors come for the architecture while the faithful come on pilgrimage, so treat it as the working church it is. Building began in 1639, an earthquake destroyed part of it, and it was rebuilt, with the current structure dating from 1939. Its style mixes colonial architecture with nineteenth-century Byzantine. Tradition says a peasant girl found a small statue of the Virgin in Cartago, which gave the church its dedication. Many pilgrims walk here every year on 2 August. From the wide square you see a front with towers, a clock and round windows, domes with decoration, and angel statues at the top. Along the sides run grey walls with arches and a white bell tower. The interior is covered in painted woodwork. The church looks best in clear morning light. The basilica is 20.7 km in a straight line east of San José and 0.7 km east of the Cartago ruins. Buses and trains run from the capital according to the timetable. Dress modestly, keep quiet, do not walk around during Mass, and ask before taking photos inside. It gets very crowded in August, so plan for that.
Towers, a clock and round windows.
Decoration above the town centre.
A full view of the church.
Central Cartago, Costa Rica
Around 2 August, when the pilgrims come.
By bus or train according to the timetable, or by car.
