⛪ Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana
Bolivia
About This Sacred Site
The Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana sits in the town of Copacabana on the shore of Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake. The shrine houses the Virgen de Copacabana, a dark wooden statue carved by indigenous artist Francisco Tito Yupanqui in 1583, which is the most revered Marian image in Bolivia. Copacabana was already a sacred pilgrimage site in Inca times, and the basilica represents a seamless continuity of Andean sacred geography into the Catholic era.
Key Facts
- •The Virgin statue was carved by indigenous sculptor Francisco Tito Yupanqui in 1583
- •Copacabana was an important Inca pilgrimage site before the Spanish arrived
- •Bolivia's most important Catholic pilgrimage destination
- •The town is the departure point for boats to the Isla del Sol, birthplace of the Inca in mythology
- •The famous Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro is named after this Bolivian Marian devotion
Location
Coordinates: -16.1668, -69.0853
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