The majestic National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Coromoto

Throughout my life in this community I have been able to photograph dozens of buildings with very different shapes and aspects, and while it is true that each of these have their charm and style, some stand out more for the level of complexity of the structure, size and visual impact they generate. I have shared here buildings from two countries, Peru and Venezuela, and from the latter I have visited several cities and towns, so it has been quite a long journey that I have made so far and I must say that I would repeat this experience, I never thought I would take part of my life to dedicate myself to make posts related to architecture even though I have no studies in that field.

And just as I mentioned that some buildings stand out more than others, today I bring you one of those special cases, a structure that makes you pay attention and amazes you for its size and rare architecture. Although the National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Coromoto is located in my country, I had never heard of it, besides, it is quite far from my city, maybe 400 kilometers away, so the probability of visiting it was quite null until as a result of a trip to the state of Barinas, we passed very close to this site and of course we took the opportunity to visit it.

This sanctuary is located in Quebrada de la Virgen, Portuguesa State, a few kilometers from the city of Guanare. The access to this area is quite easy since it is located next to the Gral. José Antonio Páez highway, the road is quite wide and the general panorama is that of the geography of the Venezuelan plains.

As you saw in the photos, this is a unique and special structure, I have never seen anything like it in terms of shape and style. I understand that this structure was built in the 90's and I guess that by then it became one of the most important architectural works in the country. In the distance you can see two large towers that seem to be born from a triangular structure. Towards the front, there are vertical and horizontal columns that give majesty to the entrance of the sanctuary.

Once inside, we can observe a gigantic hall where masses and ceremonies are held. I would not know how to explain the shape of the internal area, I could only tell you that the floor is full of shining ceramics, that there are wonderful stained glass windows and that the large walls and columns made me feel very small, it seemed that I was on a strange planet like the ones you see in the movies.

I want to make a parenthesis regarding the ceiling, it has a strange shape that resembles that of a pointed hat, it is simply impressive to look up and see the contrast generated by the natural light that enters through the stained glass windows, makes it look like a magical place.

The show does not end with this sanctuary, once you walk to the back you find a totally different shape than the one you see in the front. Being there you can better understand how the inner part is because everything makes more sense, you can see the external part of the stained glass windows and the extravagant shape of the roof, it is simply impressive.

Knowing this place was one of the most impressive experiences I have lived, I have seen other spectacular structures, but none like this, perhaps the one that comes closest in majesty is the Palace of Justice of the Republic of Peru which I already shared some time ago in this community. It was a pleasure to share once again with the community, I hope to see you again soon with more structures and buildings of architectural interest.