Replacing the small straw-roofed chapel erected by Friar Antonio Maria Garzon, stands the majestic Temple of Our Lady of Lourdes, an impressive monument of Gothic style commissioned by Archbishop Vicente Arbeláez in 1875. A representative symbol of the Chapinero district, it captivates with its exquisite architecture, artistic works and polychrome stained glass of German origin, becoming one of the most emblematic landmarks of Bogota, both for locals and visitors.
Its monumental interior spaces, the quadrangular tower that tops the facade, the turrets of the front and the pointed arches of the doors, together with the ornamentation of the cornices, make up a valuable architectural ensemble. The main altar table, built in marble and adorned with high reliefs of the same material, houses the image of Our Lady of Lourdes, canonically crowned in 1988 by the Archbishop of Bogota at that time, Cardinal Mario Rebollo, which rests majestically, delicately and spiritually, capturing the gaze of the parishioners from the main entrance.
In recognition of its greatness, this temple was consecrated as a Minor Basilica on February 11, 2016, on the Solemnity of Our Lady of Lourdes, by the Archbishop of Bogota, Ruben Salazar Gomez, consolidating itself as an architectural and spiritual treasure that enhances the Colombian capital.
