The historic center of Quito was the first city to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. And for good reason, it is gorgeous and is the most well preserved historic city in Latin America. This Basilica however is not quite in the historic center, rather it is just a little north, and a little newer than the colonial period.
Located on one of the many hill tops, that was originally the spot of an Incan place of worship, this grand Neo-Gothic church, the largest in the Americas, was originally commissioned in 1883 , blessed by Pope Paul John II in 1985 , and consecrated and inaugurated in 1988. However the church remains, technically, unfinished. Why? There is a legend that when the church is done, it will spell the end for the country and then the world. The evidence? One worker told us that on the sides of the church they were placing the seals of all the Latin American countries, but when they tried putting in the last one, an earthquake struck the city, so they stopped. Months after and they attempted it again, another earthquake struck and the idea to finish putting in the final touches was promptly forgotten. And indeed as you explore the cathedral you will find unfinished parts here and there.
So I know many of you are reading this and wondering it’s a church so what? Well let me assure you, that if you are ever in Quito, this is a must see destinations. For reals, I am the history loving part of the couple, but even David, who’s take on architecture is modern is best, was blown away with this cathedral that we ended up coming here twice! As I previously mentioned, this is the largest neo-gothic cathedrals in the Americas. We have (yet) to visit Notre Dame but we’ve heard that the Ecuadorean cathedral is immensely larger. So the sheer largeness of this stone edifice is just amazing to take in. If you take a car, you can park your car, there is a small parking lot, then you take these zig zaggys stairs on down. But from the moment it catches your eye on the horizon, you can tell this is no ordinary church. And it isn’t just because on the street side the bottom of the church has been converted to small shops, although it is an odd curiosity,
While this neo-gothic cathedral is rather true to its nature, complete with an overly large rose window that you can come up close to, it does stray from the traditional architecture though. The gargoyles aren’t your traditional run of the mill grotesques, but rather many different animal pairs that you will encounter around Ecuador’s three zones . So you will find llamas, condors, sloths, and giant tortoises chilling out overhead, amongst other Ecuadorean animals.
Ok ok, so now you’re all probably ok animals, even stone animals, might be cool to look at it, but why is this place such a big deal? And here is why: for a $2 fee you can climb up to explore the clock towers and steeple and be up close with a gorgeous rose window. If you’re lucky you can take the elevator up, but you will miss some of the quirks, like views through tiny circle stone windows, windows to more stone work. You can also step out on to a terrace of sorts to admire the views. When I say you can climb up to the clock towers, I do mean you can be inside the faces of the clock and climb up the circular iron stairs and be out in the almost open.
Before you go up, make sure you check out the choir loft, you can see right inside the cathedral. Unfortunately we couldn’t actually go inside the church, because apparently they were holding a mass for the ex president of Venezuela at the time we went to visit, but from way up there we were able to at least get a sneak peek in. But before you even realise that you’re that high up, you will prob notice the aforementioned gorgeous rose window. It is absolutely huge. Unfortunately it is also not in the best shape, with some small pieces missing, but that does make for good photo ops, since it faces the Panecillo. You can even climb up and take pictures touching it, just be careful, you have to climb up a high stone platform, and well I am short and scraped my back trying to go up it by jumping!
And if you don’t have a weak heart, you can walk out and chill out on the steeple, and get some of the most amazing views of the city. Since you are right where the old city starts, all of the Spanish-Colonial tile roofs lay down below you. In another post we will talk about another famous Quito site, La Virgen del Panecillo, and from the steeple you can see the two clock towers framing her. It is one of the most picturesque spots in the whole city! But again to get to the spires isn’t quite as easy as to get to the clock towers, since it is 377ft up. How to get there? Find the terrace that connects the two towers there is a gated off back area, with a skinny wooden plank bridge. Walk across the nave of the church, yes you are literally walking above the church, and you get to a wooden platform and then you must climb up a short ladder. Once you get to the top you have to climb up more “stairs” that are essentially vertical and scary!!!! So again not for the faint of heart.
Once you’re back to between the clock towers, make sure to stop by the cafe! I know it sounds weird that a church has a cafe, but it does. They have traditional Ecuadorean food, like humitas and they even sell cerveza artesanal, yes local craft beer! And of course the view is beautiful. But if you want the best views, I suggest you check out another restaurant…. But that post is for another time!
I was super excited to visit the historic center, as a true tourist so I made a huge itinerary, including maps if you would like a copy type it into the comments and just maybe I will share it with you in another post ;)
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