BASÍLICA CATEDRAL DE LA ASUNCIÓN DE LEÓN

It was built between 1610 and 1615, then again in 1624 (clay tiles, wood and adobe, a structure set on fire by the pirate Dampier in 1685), and finally a third time at the end of the ^17th century. The current cathedral was built between 1747 and 1860, in an antigueño baroque and neoclassical style, and was restored in 1992, but the money earmarked for this purpose was rather poorly spent, and the paint washed away with the first rains! As a result, the cathedral's facade is already quite deteriorated. It is said that there was a mistake somewhere, and that the plans for this grandiose edifice were originally intended for Lima Cathedral in Peru. Be that as it may, this basilica is one of the most monumental examples of religious architecture bequeathed to the Americas by the Spanish. In 1824, during the civil war, the cathedral was used as a fortress, with no less than thirty cannons installed to defend the city. Today, its centerpiece, apart from a wooden Christ rescued from the destruction of León Viejo, is the tomb of the poet Rubén Darío. Musician José de la Cruz Mena, independence hero Miguel de Larreynaga, poets Salomón de la Selva and Alfondo Cortés are also buried here. Climb to the top of the campanile (statues of the Two Giants) for a photo opportunity and a panoramic view of the city's rooftops and the surrounding chain of volcanoes. The cathedral was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.