Just south of the Capitolio Nacional, the Church of San Francisco was built in the 1570s, but was remodeled on several occasions during the 17th and 18th centuries. Guzmán Blanco, unable to resist his passion for modernizing, placed a neoclassical facade on the church to match the just-completed capitol building. Fortunately, the interior of the church didn’t undergo such an extensive alteration, so its colonial character and much of its old decoration have been preserved. Have a look at the richly gilded baroque altarpieces distributed along both sidewalls, and stop at the statue of San Onofre, in the right-hand aisle. He is the most venerated saint in the church due to his miraculous powers of bringing health, happiness and a good job.
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Caracas
1.16 MILES
Occupying the eastern end of the Parque Central complex, the Museum of Contemporary Art is by far the best in the country, though it can be a little…
0.26 MILES
This neo-Gothic church, one block north of Plaza BolÃvar, is modeled on the Sainte Chapelle of Paris. It was ordered by General Antonio Guzmán Blanco in…
0.17 MILES
This leafy square is the nucleus of the old town. It's always alive with huddled groups of caraqueños engaged in conversation and children feeding freshly…
0.2 MILES
Set on the eastern side of Plaza BolÃvar, Caracas' cathedral started its life in the mid-16th century as a mere mud-walled chapel. A church later replaced…
0.71 MILES
After a 2010 exhumation to confirm cause of BolÃvar's death, Chávez built his hero this grand new mausoleum, which opened in 2013. The US$140 million…
0.1 MILES
Occupying half of Plaza BolÃvar’s southern side, the city hall was erected by the Caracas bishops from 1641 to 1696 to house the Colegio Seminario de…
0.91 MILES
Venezuela’s largest museum began construction in 1989 but was abandoned in the mid-’90s. Architect Carlos Gómez persevered though and construction resumed…
1.31 MILES
The Museum of Fine Arts is a beautiful museum with lots of breathing room housed in two buildings, a functional modern six-story building and a graceful…
Nearby Caracas attractions
0.09 MILES
As part of his mad dash toward modernization in the 1870s, Guzmán Blanco commissioned an ambitious, neoclassical seat of congress, the National Assembly,…
0.1 MILES
Occupying half of Plaza BolÃvar’s southern side, the city hall was erected by the Caracas bishops from 1641 to 1696 to house the Colegio Seminario de…
0.17 MILES
BolÃvar’s funeral took place just two blocks from the house where, on July 24, 1783, he was born. The interior of BolÃvar’s birthplace has been…
0.17 MILES
This leafy square is the nucleus of the old town. It's always alive with huddled groups of caraqueños engaged in conversation and children feeding freshly…
0.17 MILES
Set in a meticulously restored colonial building that stands upon the site of the old cathedral cemetery, this museum displays a modest but carefully…
0.17 MILES
This museum has successfully preserved its colonial style and displays a variety of independence memorabilia, from muskets to medals and shaving sets to…
0.2 MILES
Set on the eastern side of Plaza BolÃvar, Caracas' cathedral started its life in the mid-16th century as a mere mud-walled chapel. A church later replaced…
0.26 MILES
This neo-Gothic church, one block north of Plaza BolÃvar, is modeled on the Sainte Chapelle of Paris. It was ordered by General Antonio Guzmán Blanco in…