Inglesia de Santo Domingo

The next stop on our tour was the church of Santo Domingo, or Inglesia de Santo Domingo. 

First Peek at Inglesia de Santo Domingo

The first view of the church was, ironically, from the Palace of the Inquisition.  Santo Domingo is reportedly the oldest church in the city of Cartagena.  It was originally built in 1539 in Plaza de los  Coches, but the original building succumbed to fire and was rebuilt in its present location in 1552. Builders gave it a particularly wide central nave and covered it with a heavy roof, but it seems they were not too good at their calculations as the vault began to crack afterwards.

Balcony by the Inglesai de Santo Domingo

One of the nice things about this church is that it’s very close to a residential area, where there were lovely blooming vines covering the balconies.  Massive buttresses had to be added to the walls to support the structure and prevent it from collapsing. The builders also had problems with the bell tower, which is distinctly crooked.

Inglesia de Santo Domingo

Here’s a full frontal view of the church.  It was difficult to get the complete church in an image, because the streets aren’t that wide to allow for me to be back far enough to capture everything in the image. 

In the Yard

Before entering the church, we did walk thru a side garden, which was very peaceful and appropriate for reflection. 

Inside Inglesia de Santo Domingo

The interior is spacious and lofty. The figure of Christ carved in wood is set in the baroque altar at the head of the right-hand aisle. The floor in front of the high altar and in the two aisles is paved with old tombstones dating mostly from the 19th century.

Dome in Inglesia de Santo Domingo

The church was previously only open during Mass, but you can now take a 20-minute self-guided audio tour, offered in most European languages.  We had our own guide, however, so we didn’t do the audio tour.  However, no one got out of the church without passing by a nun, in traditional garb.  I may not be a practicing Catholic, but Catholic grade school habits die hard – I did make an offering (monetary) on my way out!

Enjoy!

The Palace of the Inquisition

After a walk thru the Old Walled City, we came upon an area that is part of the city’s history, but certainly not a shining moment in that history.  Most of us have heard of the Spanish Inquisition, a period of torture and persecution.  Well, since Cartagena was under Spanish control at the time, the Inquisition also took place in Cartagena.  The street sign (below) is very pretty, but not representative of what occurred there.

Inquisition Street Sign

Entrance Palacio de la Inquisition

The Palace of Inquisition, also known as the Inquisition Palace, (Spanish: Palacio de la Inquisición) is an eighteenth-century the seat of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Cartagena, now in modern Colombia. Finished around 1770, it currently serves as a museum showcasing historical artifacts. The museum once displayed torture equipment used on victims during the inquisition however these items have been removed from display in 2015 prior to visits to Colombia by Pope Francis. It has been described as "one of the finer buildings" in Cartagena.

Inquisition Palace Wall

Architectural elements throughout the palace were inherited from southern Spain, and there was a very rich texture to the walls.  The Palace has been partially restored to preserve Columbia’s cultural heritage.  The establishment of the Palace was decreed by Philip III.  Since Cartagena was a center of commerce, a transit point between the Caribbean and Spanish settlements in western South America, the city became the third in the Spanish empire to have a tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition.

Inquisition Hangman’s Noose

Altho most of the torture equipment has been removed, there were a couple of pieces of equipment used to put people to death are still there.  This hangman’s noose was one of them.

Art at the Palace of the Inquisition

Altho no information was listed for these two pieces of art, I found them hauntingly beautiful and very powerful in terms of relaying sadness and suffering.

May we learn from history so we don’t repeat it.

The Old Walled City

After our visit to the market, Las Bovedas, we walked just a short distance to what is called “the old walled city”.   This was such a picturesque stroll thru the ancient part of this city, during the warm weather there. 

Cartagena Street Sign

One of the charming things throughout this part of the city were the street signs, of which this is one.  They looked to be painted tiles that were then framed and mounted into the finish of the building on the corner of the streets.

Balcony in Old Walled City

This is an example of the balconies that line the streets in this area of the city.  I couldn’t help but think of how lovely it would be to just sit on this balcony and enjoy an early morning cup of cocoa, coffee or tea.

Old Walled City Balconies

I simply couldn’t get enough of these balconies, and to see a street lined with them was a special treat!    I believe the blooms were bougainvillea.

Living Statues

As we walked along, we came across these statues.  As it turns out, they were people pretending to be statues, but I didn’t realize that until I walked next to them and one of them moved!  I practically jumped out of my skin!  I had to laugh at myself!

Enjoy!

The Market at Las Bovedas

Our second stop on our tour in Cartagena was at an open market, called Las Bovedas.  It was a very colorful, lively area.  Our stop there wasn’t long, but definitely worth a mention!

Nature around Las Bovedas

We didn’t really enter the craziness of the market and instead walked around the area.  We saw some nature in an area that was above the actual marketplace.  The bird is what Jeff & I call a camp robber, because it’s known for its characteristic of taking things left lying around unguarded.  The bloom was in the tree where the “robber” hung out.

The Market

Here are a couple of scenes from the actual market.  I decided to convert my photo images into paintings, to protect the privacy of people at the market, and to truly capture the festive feeling of the market.  There were lots and lots of shoppers (tourists), and there was this dancer who would pose for photos with people (for a donation) and then dance in the market.  Such a happy scene!

Enjoy!

The Castle of San Felipe

Our first port of call after swimming in the Bahamas was in the old city of Cartegena, Columbia.  We decided to take a tour to see some of the highlights, and the first stop was the castle of San Felipe, or Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. 

Castle of San Felipe

The castle is a fortress in the city, and is located on the Hill of San Lazaro.  The location was strategic when built, dominating approaches to the city by land or sea.  It was built by the Spanish during the colonial era, with construction beginning in 1536, and was expanded in 1657.

Base of Tree Blooms

One of the first things that I noticed when we arrived were the lovely blooms that could be found along the base of trees there, and also some flowering shrubs lining the walkway to the castle.

San Felipe Blooms

Flowered Entry

The castle is well preserved. When it ceased to be used for military purposes, tropical vegetation covered the battlements and walls, and soil accumulated in the tunnels and trenches.  Here you can see some other lovely blooms along what seems to be an old entryway.

Castle of San Felipe

As I said before, the fortress was begun in 1536, and significantly expanded in 1657. It was built in a triangular shape on top of the hill, with eight batteries and a garrison of 20 soldiers and 4 gunners. Its name was given in honor of Philip IV of Spain.  Another expansion was made to the fortress in 1763 by Antonio de Arévalo.

San Felipe Bell Tower

In the 1697 raid on Cartagena, during the War of the Grand Alliance, the castle fell to the French privateer Baron de Pointis. The castle was repaired by José de Herrera y Sotomayor in 1739. British Admiral Edward Vernon attacked the fortress in the 1741 Battle of Cartagena de Indias, an important conflict of the War of Jenkins' Ear. Vernon's forces were repelled by the Spanish admiral Blas de Lezo.

San Felipe Bright Blooms

The fortification consists of a series of walls, wide at the base and narrow toward the parapet, forming a formidable pattern of bunkers. The batteries and parapets protect one another, so making it practically impossible to take a battery without taking the whole defense system. The castle is striking for its grand entrance and its complex maze of tunnels. It is the most formidable defensive complex of Spanish military architecture. It is 135 ft. above sea level.

Enjoy!