Basilicas in Venezuela

I blogged about the following basilicas on January 1, 2021.

• Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Help in Valencia.
• Cathedral Basilica of St. Ann in Coro.
• Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Merida.

Basilica of Our Lady of Chiquinquira, Maracaibo, Zulia

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

An image of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary, St. Andrew, and St. Anthony was discovered in 1709 and placed in a chapel that had been built in 1686.  The chapel was replaced in 1712 and the current neo-classical church was built between 1717 and 1723.  It was named the first minor basilica in Venezuela in 1920.

The first picture is from TripAdvisor and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Basilica Shrine of the Holy Chapel, Caracas, Federal District

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1926.

Upon the order of the nation’s president, this neo-Gothic church was built in 1883.  It was built to resemble Sainte-Chapelle in Paris.  The church was badly damaged by a 1967 earthquake but has been restored to its original condition.

The first picture is from Flickr and the rest are from Wikipedia.

Pictures with sources

Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Coromoto, Guanare, Portuguesa

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1949.

The Basilica is the Cathedral for the Diocese of Guanare.  It was built between 1788 and 1807 to replace a church destroyed by an earthquake.  The altarpiece is done in a Churrigueresque (Baroque-colonial) style.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation, Tariba, Tachira

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John XXIII in 1959.

The Augustinians built the first church here in 1690 although it has been rebuilt and renovated several times since then due to natural occurrences.  The Basilica houses a Marian image that pre-dates the church.

The first picture is from the basilica's website and the others are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Peter the Apostle, Caracas, Federal District

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John XXIII in 1962.

The church was built in the early 1950s and is a smaller version of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.

From Flickr and Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Teresa, Caracas, Federal District

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1974.

An anti-Catholic president of Venezuela, having destroyed several churches, built the current church and dedicated it to his wife, Ana Teresa.  The neo-classical church was constructed between 1877 and 1881.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Holy Spirit, La Grita, Tachira

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1976.

Churches have occupied this site since the 16th Century, but the current church was built primarily from 1886 to 1915.  It was renovated between 1959 and 1963.  For hundreds of years, pilgrims have come to worship Jesus as the Holy Christ of La Grita.  The image was sculpted by a monk, but it is believed Christ’s face was carved by an angel. 

Pictures are from a local source and Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Holy Christ of Grace, Barquisimeto, Lara

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1993.

The Basilica was built between 1940 and 1959.

Pictures are from Pinterest and Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of the Valley, Isla de Margarita, Nueva Esparta

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1995.

A church has been on Margarita Island since the early 16th Century.  The current neo-Gothic church was constructed in the 1890s.

The top picture is from Flickr and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Lucy, Timotes, Merida

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

The church was built between 1911 and 1916.

Pictures are from Flickr, Pinterest, and Wikipedia.

Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Coromoto, Quebrada de la Virgen, Portuguesa

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Coromoto, the patron saint of Venezuela.  Our Lady appeared to a Coromoto Indian chief in 1651 and 1652 urging him to be baptized.  The Basilica is built on the site of the second appearance.  The church was completed in 1996 in a Brutalist style.  The basilica holds about 2,500 people.

The first picture is from a local source and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Coro, Falcon

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

The Colonial-style church was initially built in the early 18th Century but was substantially rebuilt in the 1990s.

From Flickr and a local source.

Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, San Antonio del Tachira, Tachira

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2017.

The church was constructed between 1860 and 1914.

From Pinterest.

Basilica of St. Agnes, Cumana, Sucre

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2023.

The church was rebuilt on the site of an older church in 1853.  It has a Neoclassical façade and a Neo-Renaissance colonial floor plan.  It was the Co-Cathedral for the Diocese until it was named a basilica.

From Wikipedia.

Basilicas in Slovakia

Basilica of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Sastin, Trnava

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1964.

Pilgrims have come to venerate Mary at this site since 1564.  The current church was built in the 1730s.

The first two pictures are from local sources and the last is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Visitation of Mary, Levoca, Presov

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1984.

Located almost 2600 feet above sea level, the current church was built between 1906 and 1922.  It is a major pilgrimage site.  The first church at this location was a chapel used as a refuge from the Mongols in the 13th Century.  It was enlarged and rebuilt in 1470.  A third church was built in 1766 using a Baroque style.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Assumption of Mary, L’utina, Presov

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

A Marian icon was reportedly donated to a woman during an apparition of St. Nicholas in the 1850s.  Soon pilgrims started arriving to venerate Mary.  A wooden church was built and was replaced with the current Slovak-Rite stone church in 1908.

The first picture is from a local source and the second is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Visitation of Mary, Stare Hory, Banska Bystrica

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul II in 1990.

The site has attracted pilgrims since the 16th Century.  A church was built in 1448 and has been renovated and expanded several times since then.

Both pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Kezmarok, Presov

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1998.

This Gothic church was built between 1444 and 1498 to replace an older Romanesque building.  The church was controlled by Lutherans during some of the 17th Century before Catholics regained control in 1670.  The church has a 15th Century crucifix.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica Cathedral of St. Emmeram, Nitra, Nitra

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 1998.

The church is the cathedral for the Diocese of Nitra.  The church is part of a castle and dates primarily to the 14th Century.  Initially built in a Gothic style, it was later remodeled in a Baroque style.

The first two pictures are from local sources and the last from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Giles, Bardejov, Presov

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

The current church was completed in the 15th Century.  It has suffered through five fires, an earthquake, and a bombing, but has always been restored and rebuilt, most recently in a neo-Gothic style.  The church has a number of 15th Century sculptures.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Rajecka Lesna, Zilina

Declared a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2002.

Pilgrims have come here to venerate the Virgin Mary since the 17th Century.  The current church was built between 1864 and 1866 to replace a smaller church.

 All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Vranov nad Topl’ou, Presov

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

The church is part of a monastery that was built in 1441.  The church itself dates to the late 16th Century and is administered by the Paulines.  The church has an image of the Virgin Mary which is said to have shed tears in 1708.

The first two pictures are from local sources, the third is from Pinterest, and the last from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Nicholas, Trnava, Trnava

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

The Gothic church was built from 1380 to 1421 to replace an earlier Romanesque church.  For almost 300 years (1543 to 1820), it was the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Esztergom (now in Hungary).  It served as the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Trnava from 1918 to 1977. 

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Marianka, Bratislava

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011.

A wooden statue of the Virgin Mary has attracted pilgrims since the 11th Century.  The current church dates to 1380 and was once part of a monastery.  The church was originally Gothic but renovations have mixed other styles into it as well.  St. Theodora (an early Christian martyr) is buried in the church.

The first picture is from the basilica website and the others are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, Michalovce, Kosice

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

This Slovak-rite church was built in a neo-Byzantine style between 1934 and 1935.  The government made the church an Orthodox cathedral from 1950 to 1990 when it was returned to Slovak-rite Catholics.

The first two pictures are from local sites and the last is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. James (the Great), Levoca, Presov

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2015.

The Gothic church was built in the 14th Century to replace an older church.  The Gothic carver Pavel built the main altar in the early 1500s.  Over 60 feet high, it is the highest Gothic wing altar in the world.  The church has several side altars made in various styles as well as 14th and 15th Century murals depicting religious themes.  The church was controlled by Lutherans from 1544 to 1674.  The Lutherans added the Renaissance pulpit.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Andrew, Komarno, Nitra

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2017.

The Baroque church was constructed between 1723 and 1734 to replace an earlier church. 

The top two pictures are from local sources and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Benedict, Hronsky Benadik, Nitra

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2019.

A Benedictine monastery was built on this site in 1075.  Although some remnants of this Romanesque complex still exist, most of the current structure dates from the 14th Century.  Renovations over the years have left the monastery with elements of Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque architectural styles.  One renovation in the 16th Century was to fortify the monastery to protect it against Turkish invasions.  The monastery has a relic of Christ’s Precious Blood thought to be from Veronica’s vail.

All are from the basilica's website.