Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [46]
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La Candelaria
Blissfully alive and chock full of key things to see, La Candelaria is Bogotá’s colonial barrio, with a mix of carefully restored 300-year-old houses, some rather dilapidated ones, and still more marking more modern eras. It’s best to avoid walking alone here after 9pm.
The following sections are grouped, more or less, in relation to the barrio’s center, Plaza de Bolívar.
PLAZA DE BOLÍVAR
The usual place to start discovering Bogotá is Plaza de Bolívar (Map), marked by a bronze statue of Simón Bolívar (cast in 1846 by Italian artist, Pietro Tenerani). It was the first public monument in the city.
The square has changed considerably over the centuries and is no longer lined by colonial buildings; only the Capilla del Sagrario (see right) dates from the Spanish era. Other buildings are more recent and flaunt different architectural styles.
The main plaza’s dominating building, facing from the northeast corner, is the neoclassical Catedral Primada (Map; 341 1954; Plaza de Bolívar; 9am-1pm & 4-6pm Tue-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat & Sun), which stands on the site where the first mass may have been celebrated after Bogotá had been founded in 1538 (some historians argue it happened Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo, just east). Either way, it’s Bogotá’s largest. The original simple thatched chapel was replaced by a more substantial building in 1556–65, which later collapsed due to poor foundations. In 1572 the third church went up, but the earthquake of 1785 reduced it to ruins. Only in 1807 was the massive building – that stands to this day – initiated and it was successfully completed by 1823. It was partially damaged during the Bogotazo riots in 1948. Unlike many Bogotá churches, the spacious interiors have relatively little ornamentation. The tomb of Jiménez de Quesada, the founder of Bogotá, is in the largest chapel off the right-hand aisle. There’s a shop if you need a Catedral T-shirt.
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GREEN PEOPLE WATCHING FROM ABOVE
While walking around La Candelaria, try keeping one eye down for fresh dog feces and missing pot-hole covers, and another one up for a unique art project peering down from rooftops, window ledges and balconies. Made in the past decade, the art works – green figures made from recycled materials representing local comuneros (common folks you find on the street) – come from local artist Jorge Olavé.
Note the guy watching over Plaza de Bolívar from atop the Casa de Comuneros (Map) at the southwest corner – best seat in town.
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Next door, the baroque Capilla del Sagrario (Sagrario Chapel; Map; 341 1954; Plaza de Bolívar, Carrera 7 No 10-40; 7:30am-noon & 1-5:30pm Mon-Fri, 3-5:30pm Sun) has more to see, including six large paintings by Gregorio Vásquez.
On the northern side of the square is the Palacio de Justicia (Map; closed to the public), a massive, rather styleless edifice serving as the seat of the Supreme Court. It’s seen its troubles. The first court building, erected in 1921 on the corner of Calle 11 and Carrera 6, was burnt down by a mob during the Bogotazo. A modern building was then constructed here, but in 1985 it was taken by M-19 guerrillas and gutted by fire in a fierce 28-hour offensive by the army in an attempt to reclaim it. The new building was designed in a completely different style.
The western side of the plaza is taken over by the French-style Edificio Liévano (Map; closed to the public), which is now home to the alcaldía (mayor’s office). The building was erected between 1902 and 1905.
On the southern side of the plaza stands the neoclassical Capitolio Nacional (Map; closed to the public), the seat of Congress. It was begun in 1847 (its square-facing facade was built by English architect Thomas Reed), but due to numerous political uprisings was not completed until 1926.
EAST ON CALLE 11
Some of La Candelaria’s most popular sights, as well as the