Iglesia de San Juan

Location:
Calle 18 and Carrera 25
Pasto, Colombia

Historical Building

By Lorraine Caputo

Walking into Iglesia de San Juan’s interior is like entering a mosque. Built within a century of the Spanish conquest of the Americas, this temple, Pasto’s original cathedral, exhibits a pure Mozarabic style of Islamic-era Spain. Note the almost complete absence of human figures within, the walls instead receiving an interlaced vine design treatment. The arches are peak-arched with scalloped edges, as in Arab architecture. The ceiling of the apse is mudjedar: a giant wood jigsaw puzzle held together with no glue, nails or pegs. The windows in that part of the church, as well as in the left-hand chapel are covered with wooden, carved screens.

Relative price: Free

Travel Skills: None

The main plaza, Parque Caldas, is only a half block away. There are many other fine churches nearby, as well as museums.