Basilica of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá

The magnificent yellow and white carved facade of Basilica of Our Lady of Chiquinquirá is a primary religious architectural example in Maracaibo. The neoclassical church was built in the year 1836 and the exquisite interiors in white and blue have Baroque influences. It houses the legendary wooden tablet with image of Virgin Mary, believed to possess miraculous powers and supposedly discovered near Lake Maracaibo in the 18th Century. Another legend states that the Venezuelan government decided that the tablet was to be transported to Caracas, the capital city. As it was moved farther from its original location, it got heavier and heavier to the point of being impossible to lift, consequently leading soldiers to return the tablet back to its original location. Every year on November 18, the church fair is celebrated with great pomp along with bullfights and music concerts.