![]() This huge cement-grey structure with its elaborate wood-panelled interior is home to La Negrita, the representation of the Virgin of Los Ángeles, patron saint of Costa Rica. ![]() #2 Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los ÁngelesĬartago’s cathedral, properly named the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles, was built in a decorative Byzantine style after the previous basílica was destroyed in an earthquake in 1926. Only the elegantly tumbling walls remain, enclosing pretty subtropical gardens. Originally built in 1575, the church was repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes but stubbornly rebuilt every time, until eventually the giant earthquake of 1910 vanquished it for good. It's as popular with a cacophony of roosting great-tailed grackles as it is with the townsfolk. The ruined Iglesia de la Parroquía, known as Las Ruinas, dominates the paved Parque Central. The old ruins are worth visiting as well as some cathedrals. While most of the city was demolished during the seismic events in 18, this city still has enough attractions and things to do to keep you busy. Top attractions and things to do in Cartago Indeed, many will have travelled like this from as far away as San José to pay their respects. ![]() It is a tradition in this grand, vaulting church for pilgrims to shuffle down the aisle towards the altar on their knees, rosaries in hand as they whisper Hail Marys. She's tucked away in a shallow subterranean antechamber beneath the crypt in the town’s basílica. At this time, hundreds of pilgrims make the journey to Cartago to visit the tiny black statue of the Virgin. The celebration of the Virgin of Los Ángeles (El Día de la Negrita) on August 2 is one of the most important days in the Costa Rican religious calendar. The star attraction is its soaring cathedral, or basílica, dedicated to La Negrita, Costa Rica’s patron saint. Nowadays, Cartago functions mainly as a busy market and shopping centre, with some industry around its periphery. And what's grown up in their place – an assortment of shops and haphazard modern buildings – is not particularly appealing. In fact, most of the town’s fine nineteenth-century and fin-de-siècle buildings were destroyed. Seismic events in 18 almost demolished Cartago. The best travel tips for visiting Cartago
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