Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are four sections, ritually unlocked as your visit progresses. In the entry room is a series of
fine religious paintings from the colonial era. Next, a chapel has relics of saints, and fine
gold and silver chalices. The highlight, however, comes in the
Capilla de la Virgen de
painting of the Virgin, the city's patron. She was originally painted by Fray Diego de
Ocaña in 1601, but the work was subsequently coated with highlights of gold and silver
and adorned in robes encrusted with diamonds, amethysts, pearls, rubies and emeralds
donated by wealthy colonial parishioners. The jewels alone are worth millions of dollars,
making it the richest Virgin in the Americas.
Museo de la Recoleta
(Plaza Anzures; admission B$10; 9-11:30am & 2:30-4:30pm Mon-Fri, 3-5pm Sat)
Overlooking the city of Sucre from the top of Calle Polanco, La Recoleta was established
by the Franciscan Order in 1601. It has served not only as a convent and museum but also
as a barracks and prison. The highlight is the church choir and its magnificent wooden
carvings dating back to the 1870s, each one intricate and unique, representing the martyrs
who were crucified in 1595 in Nagasaki. The museum is worthwhile for its anonymous
sculptures and paintings from the 16th to 20th centuries, including numerous interpreta-
tions of St Francis of Assisi.
Outside are courtyard gardens brimming with color and the renowned
Cedro Milenario
(Ancient Cedar), a huge tree that is one of the few survivors of the cedars that were once
abundant around Sucre.
MUSEUM
Museo de Santa Clara
(Calvo 212; admission B$10; 2-6pm Mon-Fri, to 5:30pm Sat)
Located in the Santa
Clara Convent, this museum of religious art, founded in 1639, contains several works by
Bolivian master Melchor Pérez de Holguín and his Italian instructor, Bernardo de Bitti. In
1985 it was robbed and several paintings and gold ornaments were taken. One of the
canvases, however, was apparently deemed too large to carry away, so the thieves sliced a
big chunk out of the middle and left the rest hanging. The painting has been restored but
you can still see evidence of the damage. Guides may also demonstrate the still-functional
pipe organ, which was made in 1664.
MUSEUM
Convento de Santa Teresa
CHURCH
