Cartago - Our Lady of Los Angeles Church

(Local Name: Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Los Angeles) This church is the most famous in the Central Valley, if not all of Costa Rica. An imposing structure, the church was rebuilt in the Byzantine style after being destroyed in the 1926 earthquake. The focal point of the church is a statue of the Virgin known as La Negrita, and the Virgin associated with the statue is the patron saint of Costa Rica.

It is believed that the statue was discovered at the site where the church now stands on August 2, 1635, and reappeared miraculously in the same spot after being removed. The shrine of worship was built on the spot where the statue appeared, and today La Negrita is considered a pilgrimage destination. Each