Ruinas del inacabado templo parroquial de Santiago Apóstol

Ruinas de Cartago

Latin America / Costa Rica

Lat: 9° 51' 50.876" N
Long: 84° 56' 11.819" W

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Precision is: High. Pinpoints the exact spot.

OM System OM-1, Olympus 8mm f1.8 Fisheye Pro

The first church was built on this site in the mid-16^th century. The church was damaged in earthquakes and rebuilt several times over the centuries, then finally destroyed in 1841. Construction of a monumental new church was begun in the 1860s, with intermittent progress for several decades due to lack of funds. Construction had recommenced in earnest in the early 20^th century, but the devastating Santa Monica earthquake of May 4^th, 1910 nearly leveled the city of Cartago and severely damaged the incomplete church. You can see in the panorama that the entire structure shifted significantly between layers of stonework about a meter above the ground. Whether it was lack of funds or belief that the site was cursed, the project was permanently abandoned. Today, the ruins have been turned into a peaceful garden in the heart of the city.