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Palacio de Cristal is a very lovely building made of metal and glass, built in 1887 as a winter garden. The building was planned as a magnificent hothouse to display exotic plants and flowers. It stands in the heart of the Retiro Park( Madrid), reflecting charismatically in a small lake inhabited by ducks, grey lag and geese.

Most of the palace was destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars, leaving a space that was eventually opened to the public in 1868. Today the palace is used today for contemporary art exhibitions organised through the Reina S. Museum.

Its domed roofs makes the structure over 22 metres high. It was designed by Joseph Paxton in just 10 days, and incorporated 10 million feet of glass.

Crystal Palace, which was built in 5 months, is considered one of the best examples of architecture in iron and glass in Spain.

The Wilfsonion Florida International University Museum in Miami Beach, Florida is one of the world’s leading modern art museums. The Museum of Contemporary Art  opened its building in February 1996. It features an interesting mix of modern and contemporary works.

The museum features exhibits of contemporary works, primarily from the 1940s to the present, as well as collections of art from other historical periods.

Miami, Florida – The first major U.S. exhibition in nearly 30 years of the work of acclaimed Mexican artist Rufino TamayoTamayo: A Modern Icon Reinterpreted (1899-1991).

The students  also participate in hands-on art workshops with artists and education professionals, learn about public art, and participate.

101 West Flagler Street
Miami, FL 33130

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland, originally the industrial capital, today is one of Britain’s major tourist places. It’s one of the liveliest and most cosmopolitan destinations in Europe. The city offers the best shopping in the United Kingdom outside London, and the most vibrant and exciting nightlife in Scotland. No matter what brings you to Glasgow – the castles, the history, the architecture – Glasgow’s got it all!

Glasgow is filled with exciting experiences – the ballet, orchestra and restaurants. It’s home to more than twenty museums, boasts world famous art collections, whether your taste is for Mackintosh or Modern Art, Dinosaurs or Dali, Tall Ship or Tearoom. Most galleries and museums are with free admission. To experience Scotland’s beloved tea ritual, there are few places cuter than Miss Cranston’s – a cafe that bakes some of the city’s best crumpets and cakes.

The Glasgow Science Center is another favorite among travelers, and families in particular. The Science Center has four floors of exhibits, as well as an IMAX theatre. The Glasgow International art fair also takes place every April from 2005.

Glasgow Tower is a free-standing tower built in 2001, costing £10 million. It is currently the largest building in Scotland and the largest building in the world which can turn 360 degrees from the ground up.

Mauritania is a country in North-West Africa. Chinguetti was founded to serve the caravans crossing the Sahara. The old mosque was constructed 700 years ago and is the main mosque of the town considered to be number 7 most sacred town of Islam in the whole world.

The wooden doors are amazing and many have an excellent hand work carved on them.  The sanctuary is best known for its massive square minaret, which towers over the town and is built of rubble masonry without mortar. The minaret is capped by four acroteria, or pedestals, each topped with a stone ostrich egg. The nature is totally wild.

Chinguetti is really venerated as one of the most holy cities in Islam. This remote place is the most frequently visited tourist spot in Mauritania. In the 1970s the mosque was restored through a UNESCO.

 The Arena di Verona is hosting to the grandiose Verona Opera Festival. The festival takes each year between June and August in Verona, Italy. Each year visitors come from all over the world to see the Verona Opera summer season, which includes standards from the repertoire -  famous Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida, Tosca, Turandot, Nabucco, Carmen, Madame Butterfly and Barbiere di Siviglia (Seville’s Barber).
87 Opera Season 2009 – June 19th – August 30th






  The festival’s program for summer season to 2009 – click here.

Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city’s other names were Petrograd and Leningrad. Founded by Emperor Peter the Great on May 27, 1703, it was the capital of the Russian Empire for more than two hundred years. Saint Petersburg ceased being the capital in 1918 after the Russian Revolution of 1917. It is Russia’s second largest and Europe’s fourth largest city (by city limit) after Moscow, London and Paris. 4.6 million people live in the city, and over 6 million people live in the city’s vicinity. Saint Petersburg is a major European cultural center, and important Russian port on the Baltic Sea. It is often described as the most Western European styled city of Russia.

Its geopolitical, intellectual, economical, cultural and historical advantages are unique. St. Petersburg is the symbol of the European part of Russia and one of the most venerable capitals of the world. St. Petersburg, a cultural center of the global significance, has accumulated and enormous cultural potential over the period of three centuries. For all this time the city has been a true pearl of world culture. Artists and architects made a permanent mark in the cultural history of Russia with their world-renowned architectural ensembles of St. Petersburg. There are over 250 museums, 18 literature museums, 44 art museums, 5 national museum-preserves, 39 history museums, 24 local history and ethnographic museums.

These are the Peter-and-Paul Fortress Complex, the Alexander Nevsky Lavra Monastery, the Smolny, the Spit of Vasilievsky Island with the buildings of Birzha and the Twelve Collegiums, the Dvortsovaya Square with the Winter Palace, the Arc of the General Headquarters and the Alexander Column, the Dekabristove Square and the Bronze Horseman, the St. Isaac Cathedral, and many more monuments and buildings.
Probably the most familiar symbol of Saint Petersburg is the equestrian statue of Peter the Great, known as the Bronze Horseman and installed in 1782 on the Senate Square.
Among the city’s more than fifty theaters is the world-famous Mariinsky Theater (also known as the Kirov Theater in the USSR ), home to the Mariinsky Ballet company and opera.

Saint Petersburg has a longstanding and world famous tradition in literature. Dostoyevsky called it “The most abstract and intentional city in the world” emphasizing its artificiality, but it was also a symbol of modern disorder in a changing Russia.

Some of the world’s most beautiful underwater environments are located in Sulawesi, Indonesia. There’s the Bunaken Marine Reserve with white sandy beaches, a dense population of fish, coral and deep underwater gullies and valleys; Lembeh Straits and its WWI shipwrecks and unusual black sand bottoms; the Togean Islands which host all major reef formations (fringing, barrier, patch and atoll); Wakatobi in Tukang Besi Archipelago and its fascinating fossil reef formations and a myriad of marine species, such as sperm and pilot whales, spinner, bottle-nose dolphins and dugongs; the sea garden of Takabonerate National Park, southwest of Selayar Island, which is the third largest coral atoll in the world, as the Banggai Archipelago, the Makassar Straits, Kapoposang, Bira and Selayar islands… the list of amazing location is endless.

The Lariang River, which runs for half its length of the Lore Lindu National Park, is a world-class venue for white-water rafting. Lore Lindu in Central Sulawesi is largest habitat for Sulawesi’s endemic mammals, such as the anoa, babirusa, deer, tarsius spectrum, cuscus, civets, squirrels, rats, and over 55 types of bats and more than 230 species of birds, including the maleo and red knobbed hornbill. See the ancient culture and ceremonies of Tana Toraja. Apart from the wonderful scenery of lush valleys and rice fields sheltered by rocky cliffs, Torajan villages are architectural masterpiece, consisting of the beautifully decorated Tongkonan houses. Coffins containing bones and skulls are kept in the cliffs and cave graves. These unique burial sites are a typical Torajan ritual. At Lemo, carved-out cliff balconies hold tau-taus, wooden effigies of the dead. A pre-historic cave at Miasa Te’ne (Leang Lompoa Cave) has finger painting depicting men and pigs. The cave was once inhabited by the Toalaean indigenous people some 5,000 years ago. In Bada Valley of Central Sulawesi, see mysterious megalithic statues. While the south which is home to the seafaring Buginese, see traditional boat-building techniques at Bantaeng and Bulukumba.150 species of rare butterflies are found at Bantimurung. Known as Turtle Island, Pasoso Island has a high population of green turtle. Between the months of September and October, the turtles lay their eggs in the island’s sandy beaches.

As the world’s largest archipelago, Indonesia comprises some 17,508 islands that stretch across the equator. There are five main islands and 30 smaller archipelagos. The main islands are Kalimantan(Borneo), Sumatra, Papua, Sulawesi and the most populated island, Java. More than 480 ethnic groups display a rich variety of customs, religious, languages (approximately 583) and dialects. Welcome to Indonesia and enjoy a wonderful journey of discovery. SUMATRA From the north to the southern tip, the island offers vast attractions to see and do. Go trekking at Gunung Leuser National Park, one of the largest parks in Asia and a trekker’s paradise in Sumatra, or try river rafting on the Alas and Wampu River, an exhilarating experience that offers the rare chance to see local wildlife. Avid climbers are sure to find the 100 meters vertical cliff wall at Harau Canyon a challenge. In its semi dormant phases, climb the child of Krakatau, right up to the ridge. Water lovers may experience the exhilarating feeling of swimming or fishing in famous Lake Toba, the world’s deepest lake, and lake Maninjau with warmer and cleaner water. For world professional surfers, look out for Sorake Beach on the island of Nias, which stretches along a perfect horse shoe shape bay, Teluk Lagundri, and offers the best surfing challenge. Other locations to challenge 3-4 meter waves are around the islands of Mentawai. See some of the island’s most famous inhabitants, the Sumatran tigers and elephants, at Lebong Hitam and Sebokor, South Sumatra. On January and February every year, see giant turtles in Bengkaru Island, Aceh. Get up close to orangutans at the Bohorok Orangutan Rehabilitation Station, Bukit Lawang village, North Sumatra. Admire the beauty of the world famous giant flower, Rafflesia arnoldi, blooming between August and November at Pelupuh Village, 16 km north of Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. The biggest ever recorder had a diameter of 120 cm.Sumatra is rich in cultural heritage. An animist religious ritual is still observed by a small group at Laguboti, in Balige, North Sumatra. Batak traditional houses and relics are still carefully preserved in the Siallagan village in Ambarita. On Mentawai islands, isolated communities still retain ancient customs and a megalithic way of life.

Ethiopia is a country with deep connections with Jerusalem, because of the Judaism and Ethiopian Christianity which combines belief in the Holy Trinity with myths and symbols of the Old Testament. In some Ethiopian rites is still used the 2, 500-year-old language.

These days half of Ethiopia’s 70 million people are Orthodox Christians. For decades, however the access to historic sites of Ethiopia had been banned in general because of the war and the vagaries of politics. Over the next seven years mostly humanitarian aid workers, diplomats and journalists trickled into Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia the capital income is $120 a year. The country was among the first societies in sub-Saharan Africa to develop a written language.

Under President Zinawi,who has begun to show some dictatorial tendencies of his own, significant development has come to Ethiopia including cell phones, hotels, Internet cafes, reliable electricity and asphalt-roads things that were unheard of in the outlying provinces a decade ago.

And it is now possible to travel across the country to some extent of comfort.

Nowadays after the Islamic Revolution, Iran is going under a quite transformation and this is exactly the tourism in the country.The country has many attractions, including sprawling pre-Islamic ruins, mosques glittering with kaleidoscopic mosaics of tile, and cities that present both a stern theocratic face and a glitzier Western one. Imam Square is one of the largest plazas in the world, and holds the most stunning treasures of Islamic architecture.

Iran culture is among the richest in the world. A lot of inspiring literature, thousands of poets and writers, magnificent and impressive architecture, live customs dating back to Zoroastrians over 3000 years ago, and other unique characteristics of the nation are rivaled by only a few countries.

Another feature of Iranin culture is art.By the way culture and art are two closely concepts forming the soul of human civilizations. Iranian exquisite carpets, subtle soulful classic music, outstanding tile work of unique blue mosques, old influential architectural style and countless brilliant literary works are famous in the world.

As well as the food is very delicious accompanied by herbs and spices and skill and patience of many generations of cooks.

Ruins, museums, churches, mansions and a wide variety of architecture, besides being the gateway to Machu Picchu, make Cusco a showcase that exhibits all the cultures and periods of our country: pre-Inca, Inca, Colonial and Republican. Cusco is a memorable destination, full of history and culture. A city with a splendid inheritance and compulsory destination for all who visit our country.

Cusco, was the biggest city and capital of the Inca Empire “Tahuantisuyo” (that reach great part of Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile) and then taken by the Spanish conquerors. Today it has an architecture that fuses the Inca with the Spanish style. Their town conserves with pride its customs and traditions. It is also the forced step to know the mystic and enigmatic sacred citadel of the Inca Machu Picchu that the Spaniards never knew and was discovered by the occidental culture in 1911. Cusco, as well as Machu Picchu, for its historical value, and for its beauty is considered Cultural World Heritage Sites. The Sacred Valley of the Incas and beautiful places are waiting for you!

The city of Cusco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire, was placed on the World Cultural Heritage List by UNESCO in 1983, and is without a doubt one of the most important destinations in Peru. There are Inca buildings waiting for you to discover them among its cobble-stoned streets, ones like the Koricancha and the palace of Inca Roca as well as Andean Baroque structures from the Colonial Period like the Cathedral and the Church of the Company of Christ. In addition, you can visit the picturesque neighborhood of San Blas where the best artisans in the department have set up their workshops. This magical city also has an exciting nightlife with cafes, restaurants, and bars for all tastes. Just ten minutes away from the city, there are the massive walls of the Sacsayhuaman fortress, and a few kilometers from there, you find the archaeological sites of Qenko, Pukapukara, and Tambomachay, Inca buildings constructed completely with stone.

SAQSAYWAMAN – Located 2km from the city. Together with the city of Cusco, this monumental complex is considered the first of the new seven wonders of the world. This huge construction was planned and built by Andean Man. The Incas called it the House of the Sun and the Spaniards called it a fortress because of its zig-zag shape and the 1536 revolution. The construction, which is made up of three platforms one on top of the other, was one of the most important religious complexes of its time.

Cusco has it all: art, magic, mystery and all the beauty you’d expect in the legendary “belly button” of the world. The Cusco region offers breathtaking natural views: the city’s streets and squares, the magical majesty of the Inca monuments and the elegance of the colonial constructions illuminated by a blue sky with white clouds which frame the six hills surrounding the city. Cusco is very well connected and you can travel safely to the most important places of the ancient Inca Empire.

Terra Mitica is a theme park in the holiday resort of Benidorm, Spain. Alicante province, and offers a magical journey through the cultures of the Mediterranean. The park has more than 25 rides, shows, restaurants and shops, providing fun for all the family.
On entering Terra Mitica you are swept back to the Mediterranean world of mythical civilisations to experience ancient legends and mysteries. The Park which is made up of 5 zones – Egypt, Greece, Rome, Iberia and The islands – include amongst its attractions the first dark rides of their kind in Europe. The size of the main mechanical attractions is unique both in size and layout.
The highlight would have to be the steel roller coaster. It was 665m high and lasted 35 seconds, with the old “smellies” dangling in the air-whoo-hoo! We could probably have ridden that repeatedly all day. Greece- Synkope is one of the park’s latest and scariest rides on which a giant red wheel holding 70 people spins and swings at the same time causing some serious screams from its occupants. The giant simulator in the temple of Kinetos is another main attraction in this area. Children can discover ancient Greece from horseback.
Benidorm Palace puts on a glittering 3 hour, Las Vegas-style show. Spanish dancers and flamenco, jugglers and magicians, along with a live dance band/orchestra. Benidorm Palace has produced the finest extravaganzas in Europe, and its seating capacity of over 1,500 has accommodated events such as the “Miss Spain” contest, the European An evening meal is included in the entrance fee & is usually made up of 4 courses.

Egypt - Land of the Pharaohs. The myth begins in Ancient Egypt… the pyramids, the Sphinx, the Port of Alexandria, the bazaars… Thrilling rides such as the Falls of the Nile which is a water roller coaster with two falls, the first one of almost 20 metres and the second is a 10 metre fall taken backwards. Other rides include include the Pyramid of Keops, Akuatiti and The Games of Bes.
The Marine and Exotic Animal Park has many outstanding attractions including one of the best dolphinariums in Europe. The dolphinarium is a magic place which marks the climax of the journey of our adventurous visitors with the dolphin show, a mammal whose great intelligence is both surprising and amusing. Find fun and interesting activities, Spain tours, Spain attractions, adventures, and more. Currently available activities include Adventure Tour, Attraction, City Pass, Cycling, Day Cruise, Day Tour, Dinner, Extended Tour, Hiking, Night Cruise, Night Tour, Overnight Tour, Pass, Rail Tour, Shopping, Show, Sightseeing, Sightseeing Cruise, Sightseeing Pass, Sports Tour, and more.

Five years after opening, Terra Mitica has financial debts of 114 millions Euros and liabilities of 387 million euros. Visitor numbers fall far below those required for the theme park to be a viable business venture and, according to the Levante, this year’s audit (made public yesterday) warns that the financial state of Terra Mitica reflects uncertainty about the capacity of the company to continue in business. Terra Mitica is one one of Europe’s most exciting theme parks and is Benidorm’s main tourist attraction. It has something for all age groups and for all “fear thresholds”.

Padua is a walled city situated along the Bachiglione River, between Verona and Venice. This city is one of the cultural and economic centers in the Northeast of Italy. Padua is a pilgrimage city, millions of pilgrims come here every year to visit the “Basilica di Sant’Antonio”, where the grave of “Sant’Antonio” is preserved. The other reason to visit this city is Giotto. In Padua you will find the most complete collection of works by Giotto. Set amongst the historic Euganaean Hills, Padua boasts a picturesque network of arcaded streets, numerous bridges, and large communal plazas. The historical center has maintained its medieval system with the characteristic interlaces of decorticate alleys that open themselves in wide public squares. In the public squares is concentrated the life of the city: Palazzo della Ragione, Palazzo Moroni, center of the Town Hall, Caffè Pedrocchi, historical coffee bar between the most famous of Italy, the ancient Università del Bo, they are in the vicinities of the three more famous public squares of the city: Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza della Frutta and Piazza dei Signori. Not to leave for the art lovers, the cycle of frescoes, work of Giusto de Menabuoi inside the Battistero del Duomo.Scrovegni Chapel holds the most complete cycle of entirely preserved frescoes produced by Giotto(1302-1305). They have maintained all their marvellous beauty! Palazzo della Ragione was built in 1218 by the Commune of Padua as the seat of the Podestà and the Law Courts. The upper floor is occupied by a single hall of exceptional dimensions entirely frescoed with astrological and religious subjects. Basilica of S. Anthony called by the Paduans simply “Santo” is an imposing construction built in the 13th century in Romanesque-Gothic style, with eight domes and belfries of eastern inspiration. It contains the body of St. Anthony. There are works by famous artists from the 13th to the 20th century, including those of Altichiero, Giusto de’ Menabuoi and Donatello. Galileo taught in Padua from 1592 to 1610. His chair can be seen in the “Room of the Forty”. The famous Anatomy Theatre, where Vesalius taught, is the oldest in the world (1594).

The world’s first botanical garden was created in Padua. The botanical garden, Orto Botanico di Padova, was founded in 1545. “The Botanical Garden of Padua is the original of all botanical gardens throughout the world, and represents the birth of science, of scientific exchanges, and understanding of the relationship between nature and culture.” — inscription on UNESCO World Heritage List.

Frescoes by Titian can be seen at the Scuola di S. Antonio the Prato della Valle, a 90,000 m² elliptical square has a wide garden surrounded by a trench which is lined by 78 statues portraying famous citizens. Santa Sofia is probably Padova’s most ancient church, the crypt being initiated in the late 10th century by Venetian craftsmen.

Avignon is one of the most active and beautiful cities in France. Thanks to its architectural and artistic heritage, this old city is one of the most important Gothic ensembles in Europe. Avignon is famous worldwide thanks to its theater festival -considered as the most important one in the world. Avignon is definitely not a town to stay in if you’re interested in sightseeing the surrounding countryside and don’t have much time. Avignon is ancient, full of history, life, youth, art, music and activity. Just to “see” the town itself, you could wander the narrow streets inside the fortified walls for days without tiring of them. Avignon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Avignon is an architectural city and it has a wonderful way of delimitation its perimeter, there are different walls in this city, one of them are the Roman walls constructed in the first century with a rectangular shape similar to the Roman constructions, unfortunately there is no document that verifies its exact delimitation’s. In the 13th century the King of France Louis VIII ordered to built other walls but they took some more time to get finished, they were concluded in 1248. The present day walls were ordered to be constructed by Innocent VI, the walls are approximately 8 meters high and there are 35 high towers and 50 smaller, most of them of rectangular or square shape.
The other attraction of Avignon is the famous bridge, history says that this bridge was once used for carrying St Benezet to Villeneuve, it had 22 wonderfull arches from which just three are left, anyway they are so majestic that you would imagine how wonderful looked with the other arches. The bridge was built in the Middle Ages perhaps partly to allow the local bishop to cross the river to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. The legend of the bridge’s building is that a local shepherd, Benedict was inspired by angels to build a bridge. When his appeals to the town authorities proved fruitless, he picked up a vast block of stone and hurled it into the river, to be the bridge’s foundation stone. Convinced by this demonstration of divine will, the bridge was swiftly built. The poor shepherd boy was canonised, and his chapel remains on the surviving portion of the bridge.Avignon, a city with a great heritage, also possesses a tremendous cultural vitality. Famous for its theatre festival, Avignon, all year round is a real centre of creativity with its permanent theatres, its cinemas, cultural associations.

The events occur all over town, often staged at historical monuments and in the streets, and with close audience rapport. This is now an international festival, with people from all over France, Europe and the rest of the world arranging vacations around the festival dates. The theater festival has made Avignon important in modern times. Started in 1947 by Jean Vilar, every year between the 10th of July and the 5th of August nearly 120,000 spectators come to discover new talent or admire those actors already known. These shows are enhanced by the background of powerful history and often appear renewed or refreshed in this environment. Avignon is a city small enough to be visited in a couple of days, except if you come during the theater festival. The city center can be visited in a pleasant walking tour. You can use the second day to do an excursion, or dedicate the second day to discover the excellencies of the local cuisine.

City of history and city of theater, the fortified city of Avignon will not leave you in different. Avignon’s architecture is marked by papal history. Going through any of the seven doors of the superbly preserved walls one discovers the city of the Popes.
Don’t miss the Antiquaire quarter, the Place de l’Horloge or the Chemin de Ronde which will take you to the Rocher des Doms. From the top of the ramparts you can understand why the site was chosen for a fort: Avignon stands high above the immense plains of the Rhône River and is the strategic point of the whole valley.

Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia. The city of Sucre is also known as the City of Four Names, being those names La Plata, Charcas, Ciudad Blanca (White City), and Sucre. Founded as Chuquisaca in 1538, the city received its present name in 1840, in honor of the first Bolivian president, Antonio José de Sucre. In 1809 Sucre became one of the first cities in South America to revolt against Spanish rule. On December 13, 1991 UNESCO declared the Historic City of Sucre a “World Heritage Site” in recognition of its rich history and its wealth of colonial architecture. The city attracts thousands of tourists every year thanks to its well-conserved downtown with buildings from the 18th and 19th century. Its many well-preserved 16th-century religious buildings illustrate the blending of local architectural traditions with styles imported from Europe. Population is 247,300 in 2006.

Sucre is the gateway to numerous small villages that date from the colonial era. The most well-known of which is Tarabuco – home of the colourful “Pujllay” festival held each March. In these outlying villages, one is as likely to find a descendant of the Spanish conquest as members of an indigenous group that still dress in their unique native clothing they use not only to preserve their cultural identity but also to let others instantly know what town or region they are from.
Sucre shares capital city status with La Paz, the legislative and administrative capital. Sucre is also a university city, with many cultural attractions, museums, shops, restaurants. San Francisco Xavier university was founded in 1625, one of the oldest universities in the Americas, and specializes in law. Relatively small, Sucre is an easily walkable city and the older sections, with the white colonial buildings with their distinctive red-tiled roofs and distinctive balconies offer nooks and crannies to explore.
The sights of the town are: Casa de la livertad РHouse located on the main plaza, where the declaration of independence of Bolivia was signed on august 6th, 1825. Portraits of presidents, military decorations, and documents are displayed. Palacio de la Glorieta- Formerly an outstanding palace owned by the wealthy entrepreneur Don Francisco de Argando̱a, it now serves as a military school. Museo de la Recoleta Рestablished by the Franciscan Order in the early 16th century. This placed served as a convent, barracks, prison, and museum. Displays anonymous paintings from the 16th to 20th centuries.

Churches which are located in Sucre: The Cathedral, begun in 1551, this is the most complex pf the colonial religious buildings with Renaissance, Baroque and “Mestizo Baroque” features. Specially remarkable are the mayor altar and the dome crowned by the cross of Carabuco; Chapel of the Virgen de Guadalupe – Built in 1617 is next to the Cathedral and honors the Virgen with a jewel-covered image painted by Fray Diego de Ocaña. San Francisco , begun in 1577, is honored for the “bell of freedom” calling Sucre’s citizens to revolt on May 25th, 1809; Santa Barbara – unique Renaissance church constructed in 1887; LaMerced , San Miguel and Santo Domingo; Santa Mónica; San Lázaro, begun in 1544 is the oldest church of the Audiencia de ChDuring your Bolivia travel, allow yourself a day for the opportunity to wander into the numerous museums after reflect on their role in the diverse and fascinating past of this old world city.