Our Lady of Chiquinquirá Minor Basilica

The Catholic church dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá is owned by the Dominican friars and is located within the territory of the Archdiocese of Bogotá. Construction of the building began in 1919, and the parish was established on August 20, 1948. It was completed and inaugurated in 1959. Pope Francis elevated it to the status of Minor Basilica in November 2023.

The beautiful church is in a typical late Gothic style, as evidenced by the numerous ornaments on both the facade and the interior. The facade is composed of three sections, with three doors, side windows, and a rose window, which features an image of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá with Saint Andrew and Saint Anthony, as depicted in the original painting.

The story of the image that gives the town its name dates back four centuries, when Don Antonio de Santana, the encomendero of the towns of Suta and Chiquinquirá, commissioned the Spaniard Alonso de Narváez to paint an image of Our Lady of the Rosary to place in a small chapel. The painting was done on a cotton canvas of indigenous origin.