Our Lady of Mount Carmel National Sanctuary

About

The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Temple stands in the vicinity of the Primatal Cathedral and Bolivar Square in Bogota. Although its construction dates back to 1941, its origins date back to the mid-seventeenth century, when the small Church of Carmen, part of the Monastery of San José, was erected there. After the expulsion of the Barefoot Carmelite Mothers in 1881 and its subsequent use as a military hospital, the government recovered the monastery and granted it to the Salesians in 1890, who acquired paintings, images and altars for the cult of the Virgin of Carmen. Such was the devotion that it became necessary to build a new temple, designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Buscaglione in an exquisite Florentine Gothic style with Byzantine and Arabic details. In 1987 it was restored, recovering the mural painting and frescoes at the entrance, enhancing its timeless beauty.