The views from LaPopa will take your breath away! The steep and narrow road to get to LaPopa is well worth it once you arrive and can see the entire city of Cartagena.
When we arrived our guide took us on a tour. This is the courtyard of the building and he was showing us how the well worked.
The locals believe LaPopa was once an Indian Temple for a Golden Baby Goat who they worshiped. They believed he had "Higher Powers". When the Spaniard's settled in Cartagena they wanted to prove this was foolish nonsense son they threw the baby goat over the hill. The locals call this "Elsaltodel Carbo".
The church is small, but the history surrounds you. The alter is beautiful and brings you back in time. Robert and I both felt so moved by the spirit of this church. Knowing it is hundreds of years old and we felt so untouched...like it was just as it was back then. We both said a silent prayer for my Mom and left an offering in her name.
This is a display of all the gowns worn by the statue of Mary as the virgin of Candelaria. Each year a competition is held to choose which dress the statue will wear for the feast day which is Feb. 2 each year. The local Cartagena women make all the gowns.
LaPopa means "The Stern", this name was given because when entering Cartagena by boat the hill looked like the stern of a boat.
Between 1822-1963 LaPopa was inhabited by the Augustinian Fathers. It has always been the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Candelaria, patron saint of Cartagena. This is the image located at the golden alter of the chapel. Pope John Paul II Lady canonically crowned on Sunday July 6, 1986 in his Apostolic visit to Cartagena.
This is the design model that LaPopa was built from.
To this day a few monks still reside at LaPopa. Mass is still held in the chapel each morning at 6:30 am.
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