⛪ Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels (Cartago)
Costa Rica
About This Sacred Site
The Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Cartago is Costa Rica's most important religious site. The basilica houses La Negrita, a small (20 cm) dark stone statue of the Virgin Mary reportedly found by a mixed-race girl named Juana Pereira in 1635. According to tradition, the statue kept miraculously returning to the spot where it was found, prompting the construction of a shrine. On August 2 each year, an estimated 2.5 million pilgrims (half the country's population) walk to Cartago to honor La Negrita.
Key Facts
- •La Negrita is a tiny (20 cm) dark stone statue of the Virgin Mary found in 1635
- •An estimated 2.5 million Costa Ricans walk to the basilica on August 2 — the Romería
- •The Romería pilgrimage is one of the largest in the Americas relative to population
- •The statue reportedly kept returning to the spot where it was found, inspiring the shrine
- •The basilica's crypt contains a spring whose water is believed to have healing properties
Location
Coordinates: 9.8626, -83.9209
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