Ruinas del inacabado templo parroquial de Santiago Apóstol
Cartago, Costa Rica
August 10, 2023
© 2023 John Riley, All Rights Reserved.
Lat: 9° 51' 50.876" N
Long: 84° 56' 11.819" W
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-16th 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 20th century, but the devastating Santa Monica earthquake of May 4th, 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.