Saint Ignatius of Loyola Church, Church in La Candelaria, Bogotá, Colombia
The Église de Saint Ignace de Loyola, also known as the Church of San Ignacio, is a Catholic church in the colonial neighborhood of La Candelaria in Bogotá, Colombia. It has a central nave, side chapels, a dome over the crossing, and a facade with three large arches.
Construction of the church began in 1610, led by the Jesuit priest and architect Juan Bautista Coluccini, and was completed in 1691. Over the following centuries, the building went through several changes, including the rebuilding of the dome after an earthquake in 1763.
The church sits across from Plaza de Bolívar, in the heart of the colonial neighborhood La Candelaria, and is part of a group of buildings known as the Manzana Jesuítica, which also includes a school and a museum. Inside, paintings and sculptures depict biblical scenes and saints that were central to the early community that gathered here.
The church is in La Candelaria, a neighborhood that is easy to explore on foot since many other historic buildings are nearby. Visiting in the morning tends to be quieter, as the area gets busier as the day goes on.
Between 1767 and 1891, the church was called San Carlos, named after King Charles III, because the Jesuits had been expelled from the country and the building came under state control. A small chapel dedicated to Saint Joseph, tucked inside the church, is considered one of the finest examples of craftsmanship in Bogotá's colonial architecture.
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