Balbanera Church

Last updated
The main facade Colta Church of La Balbanera seen from the south.jpg
The main facade

La Balbanera is a church building in Colta Canton, Chimborazo Province. It was built in 1534 and is the oldest church in Ecuador. [1] [2]

The church was founded by a Spaniard Diego de Almagro. The location was hosen close to the Lake of Colta, which was a sacred place for the local inhabitants, and thus de Almagro thought this would be a good place to start the evangelization of the area. [1]

The building is constructed of limestone blocks and clay. The original main portal in the style of American colonial architecture has been preserved. [2]

The name originates from Our Lady of Valvanera, a devotion common in La Rioja. In particular, Our Lady of Valvanera is a patron saint of Sierra de la Demanda. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tomaselli, Bernarda. "La Balbanera" (in Spanish). Ministerio de Cultura y Patrimonio.
  2. 1 2 Vergara, Víctor (23 April 2022). "La eterna Iglesia de Balbanera, en el corazón del Chimborazo". Revista Mundo Diners (in Spanish).

1°43′25″S78°45′45″W / 1.72350°S 78.76255°W / -1.72350; -78.76255

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.