Iglesia La Balbanera is the
oldest Catholic Church built in Ecuador.
It was built in August 15th
in 1534 by the Spaniards, a one year before the Spanish foundation of Quito,
the capital of Ecuador.
This small and unpretentious
temple is a relic of the Spanish Conquest.
It has a dramatical stone façade
with a large arched doorway, supported by two columns with a mix of holy signs
from Catholic and Pre-Colombian religions.
The church stands right next to
the Pan-American Highway close to the town of Riobamba as a living testimony of
those years and historic events.
Originally La Balbanera was made
of adobe and straw, and later “fortified” with the use of stone for the main
structures.
The temple was destroyed by a
massive earthquake in 1797, and it was reconstructed shortly after the Independence
wars, keeping its architectonic design, style and integrity.
In more recent years, Ecuador’s
National Institute of Patrimony has done extensive restoration of the church,
both on its façade and external structures, as well as on the interior, its walls,
altars and ceilings.
The church is
dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary of Nativity of Balbanera and it is still a place
of pilgrimage to the local Kichwa people.
Beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteWhat amazing photos and an interesting place.
ReplyDeletebeautiful photos and fun to learn about a new place
ReplyDeleteReally amazing photos. I want to go there now!
ReplyDeleteThose photos are amazing! The outside architecture is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThese are beautiful pics, so much talent you have!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your photos and it makes me want to visit even more. Thanks for sharing a bit of the Ecuadorian history with us.
ReplyDeleteNice. The rich history included must be amazing.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful architecture and so much history! Your photos are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI never realized there was so much to see here. Great pics.
ReplyDeleteI love visiting areas with architecture history.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I love learning the history behind older buildings!
ReplyDeleteStunning photos!! You have such a great eye!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photos! I would love to come across something so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI am a total history buff! I love these photos. I can't wait to have the ability and time to travel the world with my husband!
ReplyDeletethat's so cool to live in a place with so much history!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, so pretty! I love visit places like this!
ReplyDeleteI love churches! So much history in those walls. Beautiful pics!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, it's so beautiful thanks for the quick history and for sharing this beautiful building x
ReplyDeleteWow it's amazing how old that building is...thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures with us!
ReplyDeleteTHose pictures are gorgeous! I love that building!
ReplyDeleteInteresting, glad the building was reinforced with stone - I wonder what it looked like in its straw and adobe manifestation...!
ReplyDeletexo,
lauriel
EyeForElegance.com
Nice to learn the history of such a landmark. You should write more about it and incorporate your own experience into the post.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how the colors of the church match the colors of the sky, all shades of grey, love it! The whole pictures express unique harmony of that pilgrimage building and nature!
ReplyDeleteWow these are just gorgeous! What an awesome location!
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful, these pictures are gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteI love 15th Century Architecture .. they don't make buildings as sturdy anymore. We have most of these buildings in the older cities here in Jamaica... gorgeous photos
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! The temple looks really neat.
ReplyDeleteLove the photo you snapped.. It's truly amazing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures ! I love the moodiness of the various shades of grey, it really adds to the style of the church.
ReplyDeleteThe Spaniards really built churches all over the world a long time ago. Here in the Philippines, lots of these structures were built in reaching out Christianity.
ReplyDeleteVery good efforts in keeping the original form of the church even during renovations due to damages. We had a lot of Spanish-time churches that suffered major damages during a big earthquake. I hope they can still be restored to their old glory like this one.
ReplyDeleteI love looking and learning more about historical architecture. I'm lousy at remembering the facts after my visits or reading, though! The photos really help picture how it was back then
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures! I love old architecture and castles, and this one looks so interesting, I love the colored glass in the windows!
ReplyDeleteNice trip and nice collection of photos. :D
ReplyDeleteThis has withstood the test of time since 1534 even after reconstruction after the quake. This one is really a great heritage attraction.
ReplyDeleteI bet that this church has seen so many stories from generations to generations.
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful place. Hope to visit it one day
ReplyDeleteWow! Truly a remarkable church that withstood the test of time. This icon must be preserved to the max for future generations to marvel at.
ReplyDeleteThe oldest churches in Alaska, Russian Orthodox, go back to the Russian fur traders arriving in the mid-1700s. There are more than ninety Russian Orthodox Churches in Alaska still actively used today.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how much our religion and faith tells about us and our history.
DeleteI love visiting old churches when I went to Europe because there's so much history. Great pics.
ReplyDeleteThis is really an amazing place to visit after reading your daily blog.
ReplyDeleteThis is really beautiful. I love older places like this, there is so much history in them, one can just stand and imagine what it was like back then.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely looking church, very cute :-)
ReplyDeleteIt resembles the Loboc Church in Bohol, Philippines.
ReplyDeleteReally amazing photos!
ReplyDelete