La Iglesia de El Sagrario (Quito)
La Iglesia de El Sagrario (Spanish, "Church of the Sanctuary" or "Church of the Shrine") is a large 17th century chapel in Quito, Ecuador. It is adjacent to, and attached to, the 16th century Quito Cathedral, but is generally accessed separately. It is located in the historic center of the city, on Calle Garcia Moreno (formerly De las Siete Cruces), a few meters from the corner of Calle Eugenio Espejo. It is a part of the whole of the Cathedral complex, although it seems more an independent church than an attached chapel, both due to its size and to its importance in the Quiteño imagination.
Work on the foundation began in 1617 and the structure was built on a series of arches which overtopped and closed off the old Gorge of Zanguna (Quebrada de Sanguña or Zanguña). The façade was completed in 1706 and the remainder of the building in 1715. Between 1731 and 1747 the altarpieces of the interior were emplaced.
In El Sagrario is the mausoleum dedicated to Marshal Antonio José de Sucre, hero of Ecuadorian and Latin American independence, who had requested to be interred in his beloved Quito. (The urn containing his remains is carved from dark Pichincha andesite and all around are arranged the flags of all the countries whose freedom he secured. Here too Luis Mideros has highlighted the historical facts of the "Hero of Pichincha" in murals.)
The most important work of art in El Sagrario is the sculpture ensemble known as La Sábana Santa ("The Holy Shroud") by Manuel Chili (Caspicara), which is in the retrochoir.
Gallery
Facade of the church.
View from the base.
Interior view of the ornamental main gate.
Mausoleum of Marshal Sucre in El Sagrario
Coordinates: 0°13′15″S 78°30′46″W / 0.2207°S 78.5128°W