Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Avenida La Paz
Most of the city's Carnaval costumes and masks are made in workshops on
Avenida La Paz
,
which runs northwards parallel to Soria Galvarro, and it's worth strolling along the street
to have a look at the beautiful craftsmanship. As well as being very expensive, most of the
masks are too bulky and delicate to make good souvenirs, though some shops sell affordable
pocket-sized copies.
Santuario del Socavón
Five blocks east of the Plaza 10 de Febrero at the foot of the Pie de Gallo mountain • Daily 9-11.15am &
3.15-5.30pm • Free
The
Santuario del Socavón
(Sanctuary of the Mineshaft) is home to the image of the Virgen
del Socavón, the patron saint of miners, in whose honour the Carnaval celebrations are
staged. The sanctuary was first built around 1781 to shelter the image, and was expanded
and rebuilt in the 1990s. It's now a rather haphazard construction, with a modern concrete
shell, a stone nineteenth-century belltower, and an elegant sixteenth-century portico. Inside,
the high, arched ceiling is painted with bright frescoes of the Virgen del Socavón defending
Oruro from various supernatural menaces.
The Virgen del Socavón
Painstakingly restored, the image of the
Virgen del Socavón
stands behind the altar, painted
on an adobe wall. A simple picture of the Virgin Mary in a blue robe being crowned by two
cherubs, the image is said to have appeared miraculously in the late eighteenth century in-
side the abandoned mineshaft upon which the church is built. This mineshaft was used as
a hideout by
Chiru-Chiru
, a bandit with a reputation for stealing from the rich and giving
to the poor. As he lay mortally wounded in the mine after a shoot-out with the authorities,
Chiru-Chiru repented before a vision of the Virgin; after his death, her image was discovered
painted on the wall beside his body. Chiru-Chiru's deathbed scene is depicted in one of the
stained-glass windows of the church.
Museo Etnográfico Minero
Underneath the Santuario del Socavón • Daily 9-11.15am & 3.15-5.30pm • Bs10
The abandoned mineshaft beneath the church houses the
Museo Etnográfico Minero
, which
looks at the history of mining from the miners' perspective. Guided tours (in Spanish) take
you into the mine via a flight of steps at the back of the church. On your way down, you'll
see a lifesized statue of Chiru-Chiru. At the bottom of the shaft the mine gallery is lined with
an interesting collection of
mining equipment
. At one end of the shaft stand two statues of
Carnaval paraphernalia.
