The Consolation Church
It was designed by the architect Miguel Casas Armengol, recognized professional of architecture in the city at the time, in which he was responsible for several important works in the 50s and 60s.
Then, the priest in charge of the parish decided to rethink the project and asked the architect to design a new proposal that would allow the work to continue, where the church was born as it is shown today with Gothic style facades.
It is located in the city of Maracaibo, Zulia state, Venezuela, exactly in the avenue 2 Bella Vista between the sectors Santa Barbara and Valle Frio, 200 meters from the street 77 Boulevard 5 de Julio.
From the center of the city you can quickly connect to Bella Vista Avenue and from there it is a straight stretch of more than 3 kilometers to the church.
The construction works began in 1942, during its execution, there was a settlement of the soil, which caused structural failures of the porticos, and for this reason some elements had to be demolished to avoid causing more damage. This paralyzed the work for more than 6 years.
In this side facade of the church you can clearly see some characteristic element of the Gothic style used as a structural member, these are the buttresses, whose function is to reinforce the building providing a better distribution of loads, this would benefit greatly for the construction of walls with less thickness and stained glass designs with wider.
This style is characterized by presenting a central nave with great amplitude and length with arched porticoes in great quantity dressed in white that give much harmony to the enclosure.
Rosettes in relief and stained glass windows through which natural light enters the spaces.
In its interior marble floors with tiles on the route to the altar.
Its construction system was of reinforced concrete, so that by 1981 it would be in the finishing phase with the structure and walls erected.
Since 2012 installation of a lighting system for the facades of the church through a set of circular lamps with LED type lights which are strategically located and projected at different points, with an alternating operation of colors and shades, among which stand out the blue, purple, orange, yellow, green, cyan, red. Giving it an attractive and showy appearance at night, since in the daytime its imposing style makes it shine by itself.
Several churches in the city have this system of illumination on their facades, but the gothic style of the church of Our Lady of Consolation makes it unique and more attractive.
A tradition promoted by this church is the procession of Jesus of Mercy, which for more than 24 years has left from there to travel more than 3 kilometers, hundreds of parishioners join the long walk from early afternoon, highlighting a great organization by the parish with great deployment of logistics, security, paramedic teams, hydration points. With praises, prayers and chants to the image of Jesus of Mercy, they generally walk along Bella Vista Avenue to the Basilica of Chiquinquira where they close with the celebration of the Eucharist.
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