Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, Minor basilica in Chapinero, Bogotá, Colombia
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes is a minor basilica in Bogotá's Chapinero district, built in a neo-Gothic-Moorish style. It has three naves ending in a closed ambulatory, a triforium, a clerestory, and ribbed vaults that are rounded rather than pointed. The interior is painted white and gold, except the main chapel, which keeps blue vaults with golden stars. The 60-meter square tower completes the facade.
The present church was commissioned in 1875 by Archbishop Vicente Arbeláez from Bogotá architect Julián Lombana, on the site of a thatched-roof chapel built by fray Antonio María Garzón. It became a parish in 1903 and was consecrated in 1904; after 1917 its original proportions were reduced. Pope Francis declared it a minor basilica on 11 November 2015, and Archbishop Rubén Salazar Gómez proclaimed the title on 11 February 2016.
The church serves as a regular gathering place for the neighborhood's Catholic community during celebrations and daily worship. It remains a spiritual center that gives the surrounding Chapinero district its religious identity.
The church is located at Carrera 13 N.º 63-27 directly in front of Chapinero Plaza and is easily accessible by public transportation. Visitors should note that access may be restricted during religious services and ceremonies.
The 60-metre square tower that closes the facade was only finished during the 20th century, long after the 1875 start of works. The polychrome windows were made in Bogotá, in the workshop German-born artist Walter Wolf Wasserhouen (1906–1980) ran in the city.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,762 contributors worldwide.