Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana, Bolivia

We have all heard of Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. How many realise that it is named after Copacabana on Lake Titicaca, Bolivia where there is the major shrine to Our Lady? This pilgrimage centre to the Virgen de la Candelaria (or Dark Virgin) and one of the most important in South America. Architecturally I am treading on dangerous ground as the present church was begun as a  chapel in the late 16th century and devloped into a large pilgrimage church in 1668  and not completed until 1805. It is in a mixed style ( Mannerist, Moorish influenced, Baroque).

Facade (Angel Gallegas Flickr cc)

It is said that in 1576 some Inca fishermen were caught in a violent storm on Lake Titicaca and were saved by an appearance of the Virgin Mary. A simple shrine was set up thereafter in 1576. A native Indian Tito Yupanqui wanted to honour the Virgin with an image. First this was of clay  and was displayed. Some found it unacceptable  for a native to make such a statue. He appealed to a bishop in La Pata and was given short shrift. This did not deter him and he took lessons from a Spanish master in Diego Ortiz of Potosi. His resulting 4 foot image in dark wood was at first derided by some Spanish and Indians. However this gradually changed as miracles were reported. The Augustinians were in charge in Copacabana and had a Royal  permit to build a sanctuary in the 1580s.They were in charge for the next  240 years.


Nowadays the 1618  side altar to the left of the main entrance is presumed to be the main altar from the earlier chapel. It was designed by a friar (Juan Viscaino) and painted by Dionisio Sebastian Acosta Inca, a local. The famous statue is displayed here  in a niche.

The famous statue clothed and just about invisible (twiga Flickr cc)

Nave (Tobias Lange Flickr cc)

The site of the church was formerly used for an Inca  Temple of the Sun. Much could be said about the continuity of worship from pre-conquest to pilgrimage centre. As far back as Pope Gregory the Great in 601 told St Augustine to tread carefully with local holy places  and not to destroy them. Here ion Copacabana there is clear evidence that the new shrine to the Virgin was seen as a kind of continuation of  former religious activity.