Basílica del Voto Nacional

The Basílica del Voto Nacional makes quite the statement: it’s the largest neo-Gothic church in the Americas and the tallest in all of South America.The whole project started as a national devotion — Ecuador wanted to dedicate itself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a symbol of divine love. The plans were drawn up in France by Emilio Tarlier, an architect who’d worked on similar sites across Europe and took his inspiration from places like Bourges Cathedral and Notre-Dame in Paris. He completed the designs in the late 1800s, and construction kicked off in 1887. As you can imagine, building something this grand took time , and a whole lot of money. It was first funded through the national budget, but with the blessing of Pope Leo XIII, the basilica became a kind of collective vow from the people. The Fathers of the Sacred Heart took over, and citizens were encouraged to pitch in with donations, building materials, or even labor. In return, their names were carved into the stone. By 1895, the government had even placed a tax on salt to keep the work going. The bells rang for the first time in 1924, marking the official start of religious services, even though the decoration still wasn’t quite finished. In 1985, Pope John Paul II gave the basilica his blessing, and it was finally consecrated and officially opened in 1988. But here’s the twist :  technically, the church is still unfinished. Local legend says that the day it’s fully completed will mark the end of the world… or at least the end of Ecuador’s independence. So just in case, they’ve decided that the church will be a perpetual work in progress. Take a close look at the facade and you’ll notice something unusual. It’s clearly Gothic in style, but instead of your typical European gargoyles, the sculptures show off Ecuador’s unique wildlife : alligators, giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, howler monkeys, pumas… it’s like a cross between a cathedral and a national park. The basilica itself measures 140 meters long and 35 meters wide, with the central nave reaching 30 meters high. Its two towers stretch 115 meters skyward and are visible from all over the city. And yes, you can actually climb them. Condor Tower is the highest of the two and it’s named after the maximum altitude a condor can fly, and from up there, the views of Quito are absolutely spectacular. Inside, the church is just as impressive and definitely worth exploring. Beneath lies a quiet, elegant pantheon that serves as the final resting place for Ecuadorian presidents who chose to be buried there. The idea came from Father Matovelle, the man behind the basilica’s conception, who was inspired by a visit to El Escorial in Madrid, the royal burial site of Spain’s kings and their descendants. He wanted something similar for Ecuador’s most important historical figures. The crypt holds 50 marble tombs, each one marked with the golden coat of arms of Ecuador. There’s a small entrance fee to visit the basilica, but for just a few euros, you get to explore this incredible site and even climb the towers — a total bargain compared to the pricey observation decks in other capital cities.