Hey there my Steemit friends! Today we are going to do a little exploration of the Basilica. See if we can get lost inside this huge Gothic Cathedral dating back to the late 1800s. It was only about a 15 minute walk from my hotel and I always prefer to walk if possible. The church is located on the northern side of the old historic district; I was staying a little bit north of there.
Quito is laid out in a long valley that runs north to south. The population is about two million people. I don't know why, but the city's northern third is higher-end, more expensive, safer, cleaner, less crime. The Southern third is really poor, slummy, and a little dangerous. Just north of that you have the historic district where the Basilica is. This area is a UNESCO heritage site, is very unique, and is kind of it's own thing. I like this area, full of great culture, architecture, and history.
Besides the Basilica being in the historic district there are many special buildings, churches, museums, even the Presidential Palace is located here, "Palacio de Carondelet". I know the previous president Rafael Correa would greet the public every morning from the balcony looking down onto "Plaza Grande" in the heart of this special part of the city. I don't know if the newly elected president Lenin Moreno has followed this practice.
North of Old Town is Central. It's a good mix of all aspects of Quito and it is where I like to stay, at Hotel David Alejandro; which will be a coming "Travel Pro Hotels" post! El Centro is not super high end like the north, and it's not grimy poor like the south, it's right in between.
El Centro encompasses the business district, the tourist district of La Plaza Foch, the big Park Ejido, and Avenue Rio Amazonas full of restaurants and shopping. Since I stay on the southern side of this part of town, the historic district which I really enjoy is just a short walk from here as well.
Anyway, back to the Basilica. This is probably the most famous building in the entire country. On google maps when you type in Quito, a photo of this building comes up! So it's definitely a "Travel Pro Place of Interest", and I'm happy to highlight the Basilica in my first new "Travel Pro Places of Interest Series". I think my Steemit friends will really enjoy this series as it will showcase all the famous places that we visit throughout our travels.
The Basilica was really fun to wander through. It was kind of like going into a museum, or maybe better described as stepping back in time. When you go into the Historic area you already get the sense that you are half way back in the middle ages; stepping into this Cathedral you really feel like King Arthur may come waltzing in at any moment!
This place is a real "Gothic" masterpiece of architecture. The whole Gothic presence combined with the enormity of the space inside almost made the hair on the back of neck stand up. I felt like there may have been a mid-evil hidden dungeon beneath the church!
The cold grey stone, the lack of light on a sunny day yet the stained glass windows brightly lit up, the exhibits of Christ pinned to the cross, the life size statues on huge stone pillars starring down at you, gargoyles perched high along the roof's edge looking upon on the court yard, climbing up the narrow stone stair wells to the bell tower; all this was incredible, but very eerie as well.
The lighting inside of the Basilica made photography a little challenging. I did the best I could and I think you'll get a good feel for exactly what I'm describing. Now come along and let's have a look at this incredible place!
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