Sites of Interest

THE CENTER & AROUND

The historic sector, where the city was born, has lost much of its original identity In a rash toward modernization, many colonial houses were replaced with modern buildings, which range from nondescript plain edifices to futuristic tinted-glass towers. Architectural ragbag that it is, the center is colorful and alive and boasts some important sights, many of which are related to Bolívar. All are within easy walking distance of each other.

Plaza Bolívar

This is the nucleus of the old town, with the inevitable monument to Bolívar in the middle. The equestrian statue was cast in Europe, shipped in pieces, assembled and unveiled in 1874 — later than planned, because the ship carrying it had foundered on the Archipiélago de Los Roques. The plaza is a favorite playground for all sorts of political visionaries and religious messiahs, who deliver their passionate speeches to a casual audience, mostly at lunchtime. The leafy square is lined on all sides by a collection of buildings from different epochs, some of which are detailed in the following sections.

Catedral

Set on the eastern side of Plaza Bolívar, the cathedral was built from 1665 to 1713 after the 1641 earthquake had destroyed the previous church. A wide five-nave interior supported on 32 columns was largely remodeled in the late 19th century The Bolívar family chapel is in the middle of the right-hand aisle and can be easily recognized by a modern sculpture of El Libertador mourning his parents and wife. Note the fine colonial altarpiece at the back of the chapel.

Museo Sacro de Caracas

Accommodated in a meticulously restored colonial building next to the cathedral, the museum displays a modest but carefully selected collection of religious art. It also has an interesting cultural program featuring theater, poetry musical recitals and concerts, which are staged on the premises, plus a pleasant café. The museum is open 10 am to 5 pm daily except Monday.

Concejo Municipal

Occupying half of Plaza Bolívar’s southern side, this building was erected by the Caracas bishops from 1641 to 1696 to house the Colegio Seminario de Santa Rosa de Lima. In 1725, the Real y Pontificia Universidad de Caracas, the province’s first university, was established here. Bolívar renamed it the Universidad Central de Venezuela, the moniker it continues to keep to this day though it moved away and now occupies a vast campus outside the historic center. Today the building is the seat of the Municipal Council, but part of it is open to the public (9 to noon and 2 to 4:30 pm Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 4:30 pm weekends).

The Museo Caracas, on the ground floor, features exhibits related to the town’s history including historic paintings and elaborate models of central Caracas as it looked in the 1810s and 1930s. Also on display is a collection of dioramas depicting the life of turn-of-the-19th-century Caracas, all created by a local artist, Raul Santana. On the 1st floor is a collection of 80 paintings by Emilio Boggio (1857—1920), a Venezuelan artist who lived in Paris. It’s normally closed to the public, but the attendants by the main entrance might show you around.

The western side of the building houses the Capilla de Santa Rosa de Lima, where on July 5,1811, the congress declared Venezuela’s independence (though it was another 10 years before this became a reality). The chapel has been restored with the decoration and furniture of the time.
While strolling around the spacious courtyard with a fountain in the middle, look for the famous Caracas map of 1578; its enlarged reproduction is displayed in the courtyard’s cloister.

Casa Amarilla

The 17th-century balconied mansion called the ‘Yellow House,’ on the western side of Plaza Bolívar, was originally the infamous royal prison. Wholly revamped and painted yellow (hence its name) after independence, the building was converted into a presidential residence. Today it’s the seat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and can’t be visited, but have a look at the well-preserved colonial appearance of its exterior.

Iglesia Santa Capilla

The Holy Chapel, one block north of Plaza Bolívar, is a neo-Gothic church that was modeled on the Sainte Chapelle of Paris and looks a bit like a wedding cake. It was ordered by Guzmán Blanco in 1883 and built on the site of the rustic San Mauricio chapel, where the first mass was allegedly celebrated after the foundation of the town. Illuminated by the warm light passing through colorful stained-glass windows, the decorative interior boasts an elaborate stone high altar and an unusual openwork vault. One of the treasured possessions of the church is the sizable painting Multiplication of the Bread, by Arturo Michelena, hanging in the right-hand aisle.

Capitolio Nacional

The neoclassical National Capitol, the seat of the congress, occupies the entire block just southwest of Plaza Bolívar. It’s a two-building complex, commissioned in the 1870s by Guzmán Blanco and erected on the site of a convent, whose occupants had been expelled by the dictator (who proceeded to raze the old building).

In the central part of the northern building is the famous Salón Elíptico, the oval hall with a large mural on its domed ceiling. The painting, depicting the battle of Carabobo, was done in 1888 by perhaps the most notable Venezuelan artist of the day, Martín Tovar y Tovar. The southern wall of the hall is crammed with portraits of distinguished leaders of the independence wars. In front of this wall is Bolívar’s bust on top of a marble pedestal; the original Act of Independence of 1811 is kept in the chest inside the pedestal. It’s put on public view on July 5, which is Independence Day.

Tovar y Tovar left behind more military works of art in two adjoining halls: The Salón Amarillo has on its ceiling a depiction of the battle of Junin, while the Salon Rojo has been embellished with a scene from the battle of Boyacá. The Capitolio is open for visits daily 9 am to noon pm and 2 to 5 pm.

Iglesia de San Francisco

Just south of the Capitolio Nacional, the San Francisco church was built in the 1570s but was remodeled on several occasions during the 17th and 18th centuries. Guzmán Blanco, unable to resist his passion for modernizing, placed a new neoclassical facade on the church to match the just-completed capitol building. Fortunately, the interior of the church didn’t undergo such an extensive alteration, so its colonial character and much of its old decoration has been preserved. Have a look at the richly gilded baroque altarpieces distributed along both side walls, and stop at the statue of San Onofre, in the right-hand aisle. He is the most venerated saint in the church due to his miraculous powers of bringing health, happiness and a good job. It was in this church in 1813 that Bolívar was proclaimed ‘El Libertador,’ and also here that his much-celebrated funeral was held in 1842, after his remains had been brought from Santa Marta in Colombia, 12 years after his death.

Casa Natal de Bolívar

Bolívar’s funeral took place just two blocks from the house where, on July 24, 1783, he was born. The house’s reconstructed interior (which lost almost all of its colonial features in the process) has been decorated with a score of large paintings by Tito Salas depicting Bolívar’s heroic battles and scenes from his life. The house is open 9 am to noon and 2 to 5pm Tuesday to Friday, 10am to 1 pm and 2 to 5 pm weekends.

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