Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Las Lajas

About Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Las Lajas

📜 History

The Sanctuary of Las Lajas has its origin in the year 1754, when María Mueses de Quiñones and her daughter Rosa, a deaf-mute girl, found an image of the Virgin of the Rosary engraved on a rock in the Guáitara River canyon. The site, located seven kilometers from the municipality of Ipiales, was recognized by ecclesiastical authorities, and on September 15, 1754, it was established as a pilgrimage destination. During the first forty years, the site had a wooden structure. In 1795, construction began on a brick and lime chapel with a dome, completed around 1802. Subsequently, expansions were carried out under the direction of architect Mariano Aulestia, including a plaza and a double-arch bridge. The current basilica began construction on January 1, 1916, and was completed in August 1949. The first known written record of the site appears in the travel chronicle of Franciscan Juan de Santa Gertrudis, written between 1756 and 1762, and in 1853, President Santiago Pérez Manosalva left an architectural description of the complex in his travel account.

🏛️ Architecture

The current building follows the Neo-Gothic style, modeled on 14th-century Gothic architecture. Its design and construction were overseen by Ecuadorian engineer J. Gualberto Pérez and Nariñense architect Lucindo Espinosa. The main body measures 27.5 meters in depth by 15 meters in width, and the towers reach 100 meters in height from the base. The bridge connecting the sanctuary to the main access is 50 meters high, 17 meters wide, and 20 meters long. The complex rises to 2,600 meters above sea level, nestled within the Guáitara River canyon. The predominant materials are gray stone and white stone. The interior features three naves and ribbed vaults. The stained glass windows were crafted by German artisan Walter Wolf, and the mosaic work was done in fiberglass. The total cost of the work was approximately 1,850,000 Colombian pesos, a figure equivalent to about one million US dollars according to 1949 values. Construction spanned more than three decades, from 1916 until its completion in August 1949.

⭐ Key Facts

The sanctuary is the main pilgrimage center of the department of Nariño and one of the most visited in Colombia. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary of Las Lajas, whose image was canonically crowned by decree of the Holy See in 1951. In 1954, the building received the title of minor basilica. Spiritual administration is handled by the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, in coordination with the parish priests of the diocese of Ipiales. The patronal feasts are celebrated on September 15 and 16, and Holy Thursday draws pilgrimages that extend for more than twelve hours from the city of Pasto and from localities in Ecuador. In 1984, the Colombian government declared it a national monument through Resolution 007. In 2006, it was designated a cultural heritage site of the nation by Resolution 1592. During the Seven Wonders of Colombia contest held in 2007, it received the second highest number of votes nationwide, surpassed only by the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá. Its proximity to the Ecuadorian border, about ten kilometers away, reinforces its character as a binational sanctuary.

The Sanctuary of Las Lajas is located in the Guáitara River canyon, seven kilometers from Ipiales, in the department of Nariño. Access is via the bridge over the canyon, at 2,600 meters above sea level. The site receives pilgrims and visitors throughout the year, with greater concentration during the patronal feasts in September and during Holy Week. Its documented history since 1754, Neo-Gothic architecture built between 1916 and 1949, and its status as a minor basilica position it as one of the most recognized religious and heritage landmarks in southern Colombia and northern Ecuador.

✍️ Curated by María del Carmen Salazar · Last updated: 2025-06-27
Information verified by the EncuentraIglesias editorial team