Visiting the Church of Our Lady of Altagracia on Holy Tuesday, Caracas, Venezuela

Amid the imposing government buildings in downtown Caracas stands one of the city’s oldest yet most overlooked Catholic churches, or at least that’s my opinion. It is the Church of Our Lady of Altagracia, which I visited last Holy Tuesday. This church has a rich history, having been built in the 17th century. Since I’m not a native of this city, I don’t know everything about it, but I do know that it was completely destroyed by an earthquake, and another earthquake once toppled its façade. Furthermore, it was once very significant in the history of Venezuela, as its central location meant that the country’s leading figures held religious ceremonies there.

When I say it’s overlooked these days, I might not be wrong. The Church of Our Lady of Altagracia is located in an area teeming with Catholic churches, and in fact, I’d go so far as to say that downtown Caracas is the perfect place to visit the seven churches on Holy Thursday night—a date when it’s always a sure stop, but on other days it’s just one among many, since literally just around the corner from the Plaza del Banco Central de Venezuela there’s another, more imposing church, and without going too far south, the striking Minor Basilica of Santa Capilla. Even so, it still manages to attract parishioners, and in fact I live in that area, though I myself am among those who rarely visit it.

I can’t deny it, I’m a very visual person. And while the Church of Our Lady of Altagracia has a stunning façade, a black and white checkered floor that stole my heart the moment I saw it, and those exquisite golden details in every corner, especially on the high altar, the church is actually in very poor condition. However, as you can see in the first photo, restoration work is always underway to restore it. You can tell that the ceiling is a great work of art, but it’s completely neglected, just like the organ and part of the exterior, and this is another detail that makes me think it’s one of the most neglected in the area, since the Church of La Merced has just been restored, and the Caracas Cathedral, the Church of San Francisco, and the Basilica of Santa Teresa seem to take up the entire budget because they’re renowned landmarks in the city.

Don’t get me wrong; for some reason, I have to admit that this church is definitely worth a visit. Since it’s not very crowded, it’s usually a perfect place for prayer, and visually, the ceiling is the only thing that makes me a little sad, and yet it still looks good in photos amidst all the intricate details. The religious figures of the Virgin and the saints make it a very attractive and powerful place, surrounded by many earth tones that make the interior look dark, with a soft orange glow from the lamps... The feeling of being in the Church of Our Lady of Altagracia is truly welcoming and fills you with a deep sense of serenity.

I visited this church again this week, specifically on Holy Thursday night during the traditional pilgrimage to the seven churches, and despite everything, it’s always one of my favorites. The Church of Our Lady of Altagracia is just a few meters from Urdaneta Avenue in Caracas, very close to the government buildings and surrounded by the Central Bank and its plaza. It’s easily accessible by both public transportation and on foot, and I think the only thing that’s really difficult is taking a good photo of the façade, since the street in front is usually too narrow for the height of the church.

It’s time to wrap up this tour of the Church of Our Lady of Altagracia in Caracas. It’s a place you’ll truly enjoy discovering, and visiting it won’t cost you a penny, on the contrary, you’ll gain knowledge and an appreciation for art, which is expressed through architecture, painting, and sculpture. I hope this place continues to be restored and that soon we can share a more complete report about it here on Worldmappin, but in the meantime, if you visit the Venezuelan capital, you simply must come see it downtown. It’s open practically every day for Mass at 5:30 p.m., and on Sundays for Mass at 11 a.m. and in the afternoon at the usual time 😉