This morning, we ventured to El Convento de la Popa.
When I first read the name of this monastery, I thought it was a convent dedicated to the Pope. That would be Convento del Papa. "Popa" in Spanish is the stern of a ship. So the convent is named for the rock it sits atop, which resembles the back end of a boat.
This convent is named for the Virgin of Candelaria. She was a venerated version of Mary who first appeared in the Canary Islands as a re-discovered statue with miraculous powers. This Virgin quickly developed a large following in the Spain, and especially in the Canaries. When Spaniards ventured to the New World, they naturally brought with them the religious beliefs of their homeland. The Virgin of Candelaria soon had a large following in New Spain.
In 1607, Padre Alonso Paredes, an Augustinian monk was on a pilgrimage fasting in the desert when the Virgin Mary appeared to him and instructed him to build a convent in her honor on the highest hill in Cartagena Colombia some 486 feet above the Caribbean. So he set out to do just that.
When he arrived atop the Popa, Fr. Alonso quickly discovered that a pagan cult that worshipped a black goat named Busiraco had already built a shrine to the goat atop the hill. Fr. Alonso wasted no time in flinging the false idol down the hill, replacing it with a statue of the Virgin of Candelaria. In this small diorama on display in the convent, Busiraco is portrayed as gold, along the lines of Baal in the Old Testament story of Moses.
Interior courtyard of El Convento de la Popa. Following the liberation of South America by Simon Bolivar, Fr. Paredes died and the order neglected the convent. It soon fell into sad disrepair.
In 1960, the Augustinians undertook a full restoration of the Popa. It is truly a beautiful if small and no longer significant convent.
The main convent building features some lovely outdoor terraces with vibrant potted bougainvillea.
In the chapel of the Popa, this beautiful representation "Our Lady of the Candelaria." She is now considered the patroness and guardian of Cartagena.
Beautifully ornate gold altar in the chapel is a fitting tribute to The Virgin of Candelaria.
El Convento de la Popa is difficult to get to, comparatively expensive by taxi, since it is some distance from the heart of the city. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of El Convento is the stunning panoramic view of New and Old Cartagena below.
Back to town for lunch. We stopped by Plaza Santo Domingo and went from the Virgin of Candelaria to this voluptuous bronze beauty. Any guesses about her virginity?
Iglesia de Santo Domingo is the oldest church in Cartagena, and one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere. It was built in 1534, and was badly damaged in 1586 when Sir Francis Drake seized Cartagena and held the city for ransom. The reconstruction was completed in the 1700's. Tim in the pink shirt under the arch.
Light-filled sanctuary of Iglesia de Santo Domingo.
Closer view of the suspended spiral staircase to the side of the sanctuary.
The ornate altar in the distance. They were starting mass, so I couldn't get too close. But the statue of the Virgin Mary is gold encrusted with emeralds.
The other big attraction of Plaza Santo Domingo is the array of sidewalk cafes to be enjoyed by all. Back outside, next to the "reclining chubby lady" we had a nice lunch of sangria and langostines.
