CANDELARIA VIRGEN BASILICA

It is one of the best-preserved Baroque monuments in the country. When Francisco Tito Yupanqui placed his Virgin in the sanctuary, the miracles began to flow. Word of this spread as far as Spain, and on January 7, 1588, the King of Spain, Philip II, ordered the construction of a church. Thanks to the efforts of the Viceroy of Upper Peru, Don Pedro Fernandez de Castro, the cathedral was inaugurated in 1670, but the present basilica dates from 1820. Renaissance and Baroque in style, the building is shaped like a cross and has five chapels, including a monumental Miserere chapel in the center of the atrium. The Mudejar-style domes crowning the five chapels are covered with earthenware tiles(azulejos). The most original feature of the building is the open chapel, or capilla de Indios, set against the nave of the church. In the early years, the number of worshippers was so great that mass had to be said outside the church, which is why its construction was decided upon. It has a square base, covered by a circular dome supported by four pendentives. Three arches and the church wall form the overall structure, which is the same height as the nave. The cathedral has lost much of its former richness. It does, however, retain the enormous ^17th-century altarpiece of its main altar, the work of Sebastian Acosta Tupak Inka, as well as numerous sculptures, including, of course, the famous Virgin carved from maguey wood (a local cactus).

The Virgin of Copacabana is also known as La Candelaria. It is the only indigenous Virgin in Bolivia. Her face, sculpted by Tito Yupanqui, had the characteristic features of the Sons of the Sun (the Incas), which is why the locals call her the Virgen Morena (Mestizo Virgin). But in the ^19th century, some Franciscan fathers decided to whiten the Virgin's features to give her a more Spanish appearance... Hundreds of miracles are attributed to her, making Copacabana one of Bolivia's main pilgrimage centers. To admire her, go to the "Camarin de la Virgen", on the left of the cathedral (follow the signs). It is recessed above the altar, protected by a crystal globe and framed by stucco angels. All the faithful offer a gift to the Virgin. Unfortunately, it has been stolen in the past, and a replica can now be admired.