Las Ruinas Review

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Las Ruinas

  • Address: Avda. 2, Cs. 1-2, Cartago

Fodor's Review:

Churches in some form or another have stood at the site of the present-day Parque Central since 1575, and have been knocked down by earthquakes and reconstructed many times. Undeterred by complete destruction in 1841, the citizens of Cartago began work on a Romanesque cathedral some years later, but the devastating earthquake of 1910 halted work and put an end to the last attempt at building a structure on the site. Las Ruinas, or "the ruins" of this unfinished house of worship, now stand in a pleasant park planted with tall pines and bright impatiens. During the week, the friendly caretaker, Don Orlando, can let you in if the gates are locked. Among the many legends attributed to the ruins is the gruesome story of the priest of one of the earlier churches at the site, who after falling in love with his sister-in-law, was murdered by his brother. His ghost, dressed as a priest but headless, still haunts the grounds.

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