Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Bogotá

The minor Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Spanish: Basílica del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús), commonly known as the Basilica of the Voto Nacional, is an important Colombian Roman Catholic church dedicated to Jesus Christ under the title of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is the seat of the parish of the same name and belongs to the Archdiocese of Bogotá. The basilica is located in the Voto Nacional neighborhood, on the western side of Plaza de Los Mártires, in the Los Mártires locality of Bogotá. The church was built by the Claretian community, which has administered it since its foundation. The project involved several architects, including Francisco Olaya, Julián Lombana Herrera, and the Dutch architect Antonio Stoute, who designed the transept and dome. The painter Ricardo Acevedo Bernal created the ceiling paintings and designed the stained glass windows and main retablo, while the Italian sculptor Pedro Julio D'Achiard worked on the façade ornamentation. Construction began in 1881 as a private initiative promoted by devotees of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, led by Rosa Calvo, who donated much of the land. Following the Thousand Days' War, Archbishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo proposed dedicating the church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a national vow for peace in Colombia. The government accepted the proposal, and the cornerstone was laid on 22 June 1902. The church subsequently became the site of the consecration of Colombia to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The basilica is built in the Neo-baroque style, with a longitudinal nave, 16 side chapels, and a transept. At the crossing rises a double dome system, including an exterior glass dome in the colors of the Colombian flag and an interior stained-glass dome depicting a radiant sun. In 1964, Pope Paul VI granted the church the title of Minor Basilica. The building was later designated a Property of Cultural Interest of Bogotá in 2001 and a National Property of Cultural Interest by the Ministry of Culture of Colombia in 2012. During the late 20th century, the surrounding Los Mártires area experienced economic and social decline, and the basilica fell into severe disrepair. Restoration work led by Bogotá’s District Institute of Cultural Heritage has been carried out in phases, including the restoration of the façade, transept, presbytery, and dome. A final phase covering the nave and side chapels was delayed following the COVID-19 pandemic. History Context Following the independence movements of the early 19th century, Colombia experienced repeated civil conflicts. Between 1812 and 1886, the country underwent eight national civil wars, in addition to numerous regional uprisings. During the 1840s, the Liberal and Conservative parties emerged as the country’s two dominant political factions. Both parties sought control of the central government, deepening political polarization between Conservatives, known as “Blues,” and Liberals, known as “Reds.” Conservatives defended the principles of “God, fatherland, and family,” emphasizing Catholicism and traditional social values, while Liberals identified with the ideals of the French Revolution and promoted secularism, religious tolerance, and freedom of conscience. Despite these divisions, the Catholic Church remained a unifying institution and an influential political force. The Liberal Party viewed this influence with suspicion. The Colombian Constitution of 1886 and the Concordat of 1887 attempted to redefine relations between Church and State, recognizing Catholicism as the religion professed by most Colombians and promoting education based on Christian principles. Political tensions nevertheless culminated in the Thousand Days' War (1899–1902), fought between the Liberal Party and the nationalist sector of the Conservative Party. At the same time, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus spread throughout Colombia, largely through the Apostleship of Prayer and its monthly publication El Mensajero del Corazón de Jesús, both established in 1867. The movement gained support from clergy and public figures, including Archbishop Vicente Arbeláez Gómez, who consecrated the Archdiocese of Bogotá to the Sacred Heart in 1874, and Bernardo Herrera Restrepo, later Archbishop of Bogotá, who directed the Apostleship of Prayer in the city. By the end of 1891, numerous Colombian municipalities had been consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1892, Bogotá was formally consecrated through a municipal agreement, and the ceremony took place at Bogotá Cathedral on 12 October of that year. These political consecrations were strongly criticized by Liberals. The devotion also expanded internationally. In 1899, Pope Leo XIII, through the encyclical Annum Sacrum, consecrated the human race to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and ordered similar ceremonies to be held worldwide in 1900. In 1902, amid the Thousand Days’ War, Archbishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo proposed that the Colombian government dedicate the nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as a vow for peace and transform an unfinished chapel in Bogotá into the Church of the Voto Nacional. The proposal was accepted by the government, and the church became the site of national religious ceremonies associated with peace and the protection of the nation. The basilica subsequently became the principal site for annual Te Deum ceremonies attended by the president of Colombia, reinforcing its national significance. Construction of the basilica took place in several phases between 1902 and 1938. The church was consecrated in 1916, when the façade and nave were completed, while the transept and dome were inaugurated in 1938. Architecturally, the building is considered an important example of Republican-era architecture in Colombia, reflecting the growing influence of European academic styles over earlier colonial forms. 1881–1911. Doña Rosa's project Construction of the chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus began in 1881 on the western side of Plaza de los Mártires, in Bogotá, on land donated by Rosa Calvo Cabrera, who also contributed 1,000 pesos to the project. The works were overseen by Fr. Rudesindo Castillo, parish priest of La Capuchina Church, and financed through donations from the faithful. The original design was directed by architect Francisco Olaya, a disciple of Thomas Reed, until his death in 1888; he was later succeeded by architect Julián Lombana. On 6 May 1898, the first chapel was opened. After Rosa Calvo’s death in 1892, her estate was divided among her heirs, who transferred ownership of the chapel lot to the Archdiocese of Bogotá in 1901. Archbishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo formally accepted the donation on behalf of the archdiocese, which subsequently assumed responsibility for the construction. Amid the devastation caused by the Thousand Days’ War, Archbishop Herrera proposed in a pastoral letter of 6 April 1902 that Colombia make a national vow to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for peace. The initiative was inspired in part by the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Paris, built following a national vow in France after the Franco-Prussian War. Conservative president José Manuel Marroquín endorsed the proposal through Decree 820 of 18 May 1902, by which the government agreed to support the construction of the church and organize public collections for the project. On 22 June 1902, a public ceremony was held beginning with a Mass at Bogotá Cathedral, followed by a procession to the unfinished church involving religious authorities, government officials, educational institutions, the police, and the army. At Plaza de los Mártires, poet José María Rivas Groot delivered a speech describing the future church as a national sanctuary dedicated to peace and reconciliation. During the ceremony, donations for the construction were collected, and Archbishop Herrera read the formula consecrating Colombia to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was repeated by Vice President José Manuel Marroquín and the attendees. The date is regarded as the symbolic laying of the first stone of the Voto Nacional church. That same year, Archbishop Herrera established the Central Board of the Voto Nacional, composed of clergy and laymen responsible for overseeing the project. In 1903, the Archdiocese of Bogotá acquired additional adjoining land to expand the church grounds and facilitate the development of the temple. 1911–1916. The Claretians arrive The construction of the church entered a new phase when Archbishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo entrusted the unfinished project to the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, known as the Claretians, who had arrived in Colombia in 1908. Herrera, who had met. Antonio María Claret during the First Vatican Council, held the congregation in high regard because of its missionary work in the country. In July 1911, he formally offered the Temple of the Voto Nacional to the Claretian prefect in Colombia, Fr. Juan Gil. Fr. Gil informed the Superior General of the congregation, Fr. Martín Alsina, that the archbishop had offered the community one of Bogotá’s principal churches, although the building remained unfinished. To oversee the project, the Claretians appointed the Spanish priest Antonio María Pueyo de Val, who combined experience in preaching and architecture. Upon arriving in Bogotá in December 1912, Fr. Pueyo described the church as incomplete and in poor condition, with part of the structure still lacking roofing and the façade only partially built. Despite these limitations, regular Masses were already being celebrated there. Under his direction, the pace of construction accelerated considerably, and by December 1913 a monumental statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus had been installed atop the façade. The Claretians substantially modified the original architectural plans prepared by Julián Lombana. According to later Claretian accounts, Pueyo altered the façade, widened the interior spaces, increased the height of the vaults, and gave the church the appearance of a three-nave structures. The final façade design was produced by painter Ricardo Acevedo Bernal at Pueyo’s request. To raise support for the project, Pueyo delivered a lecture on sacred architecture in Bogotá in April 1913, attended by political, commercial, and social elites of the capital. The event contributed to the creation of a new board responsible for completing the church and generated regular financial contributions for the works. In March 1913, Archbishop Herrera reorganized the Board of the Voto Nacional, incorporating clergy and prominent public figures, including José María González Valencia, Gerardo Arrubla, Rafael Carvajal, Manuel José Marroquín, and Fr. Pueyo. The board was tasked with organizing worship and national ceremonies dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. That same year, during the First National Eucharistic Congress of Colombia, Congress passed two laws related to the church. One formally rendered homage to Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, while the other allocated 10,000 pesos for the completion of the Temple of the Voto Nacional. In December 1913, after delays caused by transportation problems and bad weather, the large statue of the Sacred Heart was finally blessed and installed on the façade. Between 1914 and 1915, four statues representing American saints: Saint Turibius, Saint Louis Bertrand, Saint Peter Claver and Saint Rose of Lima were added to the exterior. In 1916, the installation of the stained-glass windows in the side chapels was completed. Designed by Ricardo Acevedo Bernal and produced by the Spanish firm Casa Maumejean, the windows had begun to be installed the previous year. The church was formally consecrated on 24 September 1916, coinciding with the episcopal silver jubilee of Archbishop Herrera Restrepo and a gathering of Colombian bishops in Bogotá. The ceremony included a Mass officiated by Enrico Gasparri and the renewal of Colombia’s consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Although consecrated, the church remained unfinished, with several decorative and structural elements still incomplete. After the religious ceremony, Fr. Pueyo de Val gave a banquet. 1916–1938. Enlargement and embellishment The consecration of the temple in September 1916 was considered solemn and significant, although Fr. Antonio María Pueyo de Val acknowledged that the building remained unfinished. In a letter to Rome dated December 1916, he reported the consecration of fifteen altars and requested support to complete the temple, as well as resources for a future project dedicated to the Heart of Mary. In the same year, Fr. Pueyo acquired a property on Calle 10 in the name of the Claretian community, which later housed the missionaries’ residence and served as accommodation for clergy arriving in Bogotá.. On 20 July 1917, the inauguration of the new Estación de la Sabana increased economic activity in the surrounding area, turning the sector between the station and the temple into a commercial hub. On 26 November 1917, Fr. Pueyo was appointed bishop of Pasto and was consecrated on 6 January 1918 in the Voto Nacional temple, in a ceremony attended by President José Vicente Concha and other political and ecclesiastical figures. That same day, he confirmed approximately 200 children in the church. Shortly after, an agreement was signed defining the conditions under which the Claretian community would assume administration of the temple. In 1918, the nearby School of Medicine of the National University was partially inaugurated, contributing to the development of the surrounding area. In 1919, devotional and artistic activity expanded. New religious images were commissioned from workshops in Spain, including works from Valencia, Barcelona, and Olot, while others were acquired locally. That same year, Fr. Villarroya founded the Revista El Voto Nacional, and new pavement made of hydraulic tiles was installed in the church. Between 1917 and 1920, Ricardo Acevedo Bernal painted ten ceiling works for the central nave, commissioned by Fr. Pueyo. Between 1925 and 1927, additional land was acquired to expand the temple, enabling the construction of the transept and dome under Dutch architect Antonio Stoute. The project also included new crypts and was financed through public donations and government support. In 1927, electric lighting was installed, decorative works on the façade were completed, and Archbishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo died, succeeded by Ismael Perdomo Borrero. During the 1930s, major works continued, including the arrival of bells, a pipe organ from Spain, and the installation of the dome’s iron structure and stained glass. The dome was completed in 1938, when Bogotá’s municipal government donated a tower clock manufactured in Germany. That same year, the dome, transept, and clock were inaugurated with a solemn ceremony led by Archbishop Perdomo. By this period, the temple had become a center of intense religious activity, including Marian devotions, Eucharistic Thursdays, confraternities, and lay associations that organized processions and devotional practices in the surrounding area. 1938–2012. From radiance to decay From the 1930s, after the Liberal Party came to power, presidential participation in the annual renewal of the consecration of Colombia to the Sacred Heart at the Voto Nacional declined. In 1945, Pope Pope Pius XII praised the temple in a radio message, recalling its symbolic role in Colombia’s peace and religious devotion. In 1942, the church was elevated to parish status by Decree No. 16, entrusted to the Claretian missionaries, with Fr. Alfredo Martínez as its first parish priest (1942–1948). That year also saw the donation of the baptismal font and a marked increase in parish activity, with baptisms, marriages, and communions rising significantly in subsequent years. Urban transformation affected the surrounding area. In 1947–1948, the construction of Avenida Caracas divided Plaza de los Mártires and altered its urban continuity, accelerating commercial decline and social change in the sector. The 1948 riots further damaged infrastructure, including the church dome. Despite this, artistic and devotional projects continued. In 1950, a contract was signed with the Granda workshops in Spain for the completion of the main altar originally designed decades earlier by Ricardo Acevedo Bernal. After the violence of 1948, national efforts to promote reconciliation included renewed public devotion. In 1952, President Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez and Apostolic Nuncio Antonio Samoré promoted a peace campaign, and 8 January was declared a national day of thanksgiving to the Sacred Heart. That same year marked the 50th anniversary of the Voto Nacional. The commemoration included large religious ceremonies, processions, and a renewal of the national vow by the president. The Granda workshops also completed and installed a new main altar and related liturgical elements in 1952–1953, followed by decorative additions such as chandeliers and furnishings in 1954. During the 1950s, further restoration and expansion works were carried out in the temple, including improvements to sacristy, crypts, and lighting, as well as repairs to damage caused in 1948. The surrounding area, however, underwent rapid social decline following urban displacement and the relocation of commercial activity. In 1956, the visit of the relic of Anthony Mary Claret to Bogotá included ceremonies at the Voto Nacional, attended by President Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, who renewed the national vow. That same period also saw the construction of new Claretian facilities adjacent to the church. Urban interventions in 1960 briefly improved Plaza de los Mártires, while interior restoration works continued in the basilica, including crypt expansion and decorative refurbishment. Additional liturgical objects and bells were installed in the early 1960s, along with the foundation of educational and pastoral institutions linked to the parish. In 1964, Pope Pope Paul VI elevated the church to the dignity of Minor Basilica, a status later confirmed in a solemn ceremony presided over by Cardinal Luis Concha Córdoba. During the late 1960s and 1970s, administrative changes included the relocation of Claretian facilities and the restructuring of access between parish buildings. The national Te Deum ceremony was moved from the basilica to Bogotá Cathedral in 1971 due to urban decline and security concerns, marking a symbolic reduction in the church’s national prominence. From the 1980s onward, the surrounding Los Mártires district experienced severe deterioration, becoming associated with crime and informal settlements. This affected access to the basilica and led to a significant decline in religious activity and income. By the 1990s, structural damage and insecurity had reached critical levels, prompting urgent restoration efforts. In 1991, the new Constitution of Colombia established religious pluralism and formally ended the practice of national consecration ceremonies, and in 1994 the Constitutional Court annulled the 1952 law related to the civic holiday of the Sacred Heart. In response to the basilica’s deterioration, restoration and heritage protection efforts were initiated in the 2000s, including requests for its recognition as a Property of Cultural Interest to ensure its preservation. 2012–present. The resurgence Restoration of the Basilica of the Voto Nacional began in the early 2010s through a combination of public and international donations, including contributions from German and Italian organizations. Initial interventions addressed urgent structural risks, including stabilization of the roof, electrical system replacement, and conservation studies. In this context, the Ministry of Culture declared the basilica a National Property of Cultural Interest (BIC) in 2012. In 2011, the National University of Colombia prepared the Special Management and Protection Plan for the Historic Center (PEMP), approved in 2013 by the District Institute of Cultural Heritage of Bogotá (IDPC). A comprehensive restoration project was subsequently designed and approved by the Ministry of Culture in 2015. Emergency works were carried out between 2014 and 2015 to address severe structural and sanitary issues, including water infiltration in the crypts, deterioration of sculptures, and façade instability. Measures included drainage improvements, sanitation of underground areas, façade consolidation, and removal and replacement of at-risk sculptural elements, notably a replica of the statue of Saint Peter Claver. Protective systems were also installed inside the nave and on the façade to prevent falling debris and control pigeon damage. Based on technical assessments, the intervention was divided into three phases. The first phase (2016–2017) focused on the restoration of the main façade, which showed significant structural tilt, as well as stabilization of decorative elements, restoration of the clock tower, and recovery of interior lighting openings. Sculptures on the façade were dismantled, restored, and reinstalled in workshops within the church. This phase also included treatment of humidity issues and structural reinforcement works, with an investment of approximately 3.14 billion pesos. The second phase (2018–2020) addressed the presbytery, transept, and dome. Structural reinforcement of foundations, walls, and columns required archaeological work in the crypt, including the exhumation and reinterment of 789 ossuaries under forensic supervision. Restoration also included stained glass windows, interior decoration, and full rehabilitation of the dome, including removal and conservation of the tricolor glass system. This phase involved an investment of approximately 10.59 billion pesos. The third phase, planned for the central nave and side chapels, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and remains pending. It is expected to require further phased investment due to its scale and cost. In 2025, the Office of the Inspector General of the Nation reported continued deterioration of artistic and structural elements, including damage to ceilings, paintings, and roofing systems. The report requested updated information from cultural authorities on the progress of restoration and emphasized the need for continued conservation measures to prevent further degradation of the monument. Authorship of the temple The memoirs of the Claretians attribute the initial designs of the chapel promoted by Doña Rosa around 1881 to Francisco Olaya, who at the time was also her neighbor. However, the same memoirs indicate that the structure he built underwent several modifications, causing his intervention to disappear almost entirely. The first documented reference to Julián Lombana’s involvement dates to 1900, when he requested in a letter to the Central Board that the church be enlarged. Later testimonies suggest that the original project underwent repeated alterations during this early phase. In 1912, Fr. Antonio María Pueyo de Val wrote that “they've changed the plan several times, having altered it in pejus (for the worse)", while Fr. José Payás recalled in 1941 that by 1914 “the shed, the last remnant of the previous hermitage, had disappeared”, indicating that little remained of the earlier chapel. Because no planimetric documents from Lombana’s period survive, his precise authorship has been questioned.[6] Nevertheless, Alfredo Ortega Díaz, in Arquitectura en Bogotá (1924), listed the Voto Nacional temple among Lombana’s works. The project changed significantly after the arrival of Fr. Pueyo de Val in 1912. According to Claretian memoirs, Pueyo modified both the nave and façade designs with the authorization of Archbishop Herrera. Carlos Mesa later stated that Pueyo had effectively redrawn the plans of the frontispiece and interior, widening the spans, raising the vaults, and reorganizing the decorative program. Fr. Martín Jové similarly wrote in 1943 that Pueyo “opened the solid walls that previously formed a kind of chapel and gave the temple that aspect of three naves it now has”. The same source states that Pueyo rejected one of the existing façade projects and conveyed his ideas to the painter Ricardo Acevedo Bernal, who produced the design ultimately executed. No surviving drawings clarify the respective contributions of Lombana and Pueyo. As far as can be established, Lombana worked on the original property donated in 1892, together with the small adjoining parcels later acquired for the façade, which was completed in 1913. When Pueyo arrived in Bogotá in late 1912, he reported that the church still lacked roofing over its final third and that “the façade is halfway through the cornice of the first body”. The western lands that now contain the transept and dome had not yet been acquired during Lombana’s intervention. The church consecrated in 1916 still used the western edge of Rosa Calvo’s original property as the presbytery. Later expansion works were designed by the Dutch architect Antonio Stoute, whose undated plans preserved in the Bogotá Archive show the projected transept, dome, and auxiliary spaces. Permit documents related to the dome’s construction in 1936 further confirm his role in the enlargement project. Consequently, Julián Lombana and Fr. Antonio Pueyo de Val are generally regarded as co-authors of the church consecrated in 1916, while Antonio Stoute is considered the author of the later enlargement inaugurated in 1938, including the transept, dome, and crypt. Urban and social context The basilica is located on the western side of the Plaza de Los Mártires, in the Voto Nacional neighborhood of the Los Mártires locality of the city of Bogotá. The square, an important historical and symbolic site in the city, contains the Monument to the Martyrs, a 17-meter obelisk commemorating the martyrs of Colombian independence. The importance of the square later gave its name to the present-day locality of Los Mártires. From the 1930s onward, the construction of Avenida Caracas transformed the area significantly. Its route through Plaza de Los Mártires divided the square in two, led to the demolition of part of the School of Medicine building and numerous houses, and disrupted the urban continuity between the historic center and the Voto Nacional sector. The square’s gardens were removed and the area was later adapted for vehicular traffic and bus stops. The sector deteriorated further after the riots of 9 April 1948, which caused extensive violence and destruction. The relocation of the market to nearby Plaza España in 1956 accelerated the departure of traditional residents and the growth of crime. Many former residences were converted into tenements, hotels, warehouses, and commercial premises. In 1967, the widening of Avenida Caracas from two to four lanes increased vehicular traffic and reinforced the area’s isolation from the historic center. By the late 20th century, the nearby sectors known as El Cartucho and El Bronx had become major centers of crime, drug trafficking, prostitution, and homelessness. In 2000, authorities intervened in El Cartucho and replaced it with Parque Tercer Milenio, which displaced much of the criminal activity toward El Bronx. On 28 May 2016, El Bronx was intervened by more than 2,500 members of the National Police and Army, initiating a broader urban renewal process in the sector. As part of this renewal, Plaza de Los Mártires and the basilica underwent restoration works. The square and obelisk were restored by 2016, while the first and second stages of restoration of the basilica were carried out between 2016–2017 and 2018–2020 respectively. The district government, through the Empresa de Renovación y Desarrollo Urbano de Bogotá (RenoBo), is currently implementing the Voto Nacional–La Estanzuela Partial Plan, which includes the Bronx Distrito Creativo, the Centro de Talento Creativo Multicampus, and the new administrative headquarters of the Los Mártires Local Mayor’s Office. Current land use in the Voto Nacional neighborhood is predominantly commercial, followed by residential and institutional uses. Commercial activity includes hardware stores, agro-industrial businesses, textile trade, household goods, and informal street vending. Much of the resident population is transient and lives in tenements due to the sector’s low rental costs and proximity to work opportunities. The neighborhood also has a significant presence of the Otavalo indigenous community from Ecuador, which maintains close ties with the parish and participates actively in religious activities. On the western side of the square are the Filosofado building, the Basilica of the Voto Nacional, the parish house, and several Republican-era residences later adapted for commercial and residential use. On the south side stands the former Faculty of Medicine building, designed by the French architect Gastón Lelarge between 1916 and 1930 and declared a National Property of Cultural Interest. The building is currently being adapted as part of the Bronx Distrito Creativo project. The eastern side of the square is bordered by Avenida Caracas, now a TransMilenio corridor. At its northeastern corner is the Avenida Jiménez station. The future elevated first line of the Bogotá Metro will also include a station in the area, above the TransMilenio station, which has required the acquisition and demolition of several nearby properties. Building characteristics The basilica was built in the Neo-baroque style, one of the styles of Historicist architecture that revived forms associated with earlier periods. The building consists of a single longitudinal nave with 16 side chapels and a transept. Their intersection forms the crossing, above which rises the dome, while to the west extends a shallow polygonal apse conditioned by the shape of the original lot. Together, these elements form a Latin cross plan. The dome is composed of a double-shell system. The exterior dome rises on an elongated drum and is covered with glass in the colors of the Colombian flag, topped by a lantern crowned with a monstrance. Internally, the crossing is covered by a stained-glass dome representing a radiant sun. The basilica measures 68.41 m in length and 20 m in width across the longitudinal nave and side chapels, widening to 27.44 m at the façade and 30 m at the transept. The façade reaches 38.60 m in height to the sculpture of Jesus, while the exterior dome rises to 53.80 m at the monstrance. The main façade is composed of three tiers and five bays that decrease in width toward the top. The three central bays correspond to the nave and side chapels, while the outer bays project laterally as attached volumes. The tiers are separated by cornices, and the bays by half-pilasters and columns. Materials and structure The basilica is structured through a system of load-bearing walls that transfer the building’s weight to the foundations and then to the ground. Its foundations are generally composed of cyclopean stone masonry joined with lime-and-sand mortar, although the system varies according to each sector of the building. In the façade area, the foundation consists of a continuous cyclopean stone footing reaching a depth of 4 m below the atrium level. Inside the church, the foundations are shallower, reaching approximately 2.7 m, and combine stone and solid brick masonry. In the transept, the system incorporates concrete footings supporting the pillars beneath the dome. The first body of the façade has walls averaging 2 m in thickness, built with mixed masonry of carved stone and solid brick, externally clad with 18 cm thick ashlar stone. The upper sections are constructed primarily of solid brick masonry with stone-like finishes, gradually decreasing in thickness. Internal vaults support the central pillar carrying the statue of Jesus. Behind the façade is a timber-framed structure of the Pan de Bois type, containing mezzanines for the bells and clock mechanism. The upper section culminates in a wooden cupola with a brass roof surrounding the statue’s supporting pillar. Within the façade’s side walls are two circular ducts: the southern one contains a spiral stone staircase leading to the choir, while the northern duct houses the bell ropes. The choir and antecoro are supported by 1 m thick mixed masonry walls connected to the façade volumes. The side walls of the nave and chapels are also built in mixed masonry of stone and solid brick, reinforced by relieving arches and buttressing transverse walls that support the barrel vaults of the side chapels and the diaphragm arches of the central nave. The transept walls are load-bearing solid brick masonry approximately 45 cm thick and up to 20 m high. In the presbytery, the structure incorporates reinforced concrete pillars with railway beams and steel stirrups, supporting the cimborrio and the drum of the stained-glass dome. The exterior dome consists of a radial metal framework supported by an elongated drum resting on a concrete ring. The longitudinal nave and transept are covered by gabled roofs, while the side chapels have shed roofs, all finished with terracotta tiles. The roof structure is formed by timber king-post trusses and purlins; during restoration works in 2012, the original reed-and-mortar support system beneath the tiles was replaced with fiber cement panels. The ceilings of the nave are suspended from the roof structure by wooden frameworks and rods, while those of the transept are formed by cement shells over metal mesh. The presbytery floor is paved in white marble, whereas the nave and crypt floors are covered with pigmented hydraulic cement tiles measuring 20 × 20 cm. Exterior Façade The main façade faces the western side of the Plaza de Los Mártires and is fully symmetrical. It is composed of three horizontal bodies separated by entablatures and five vertical bays divided by Corinthian columns and pilasters resting on smooth plinths. The shafts are fluted and topped with Corinthian capitals. As the façade rises, the bays progressively narrow, producing a stepped composition in the upper levels. The first body is articulated in five bays and is largely open at its base through three main entrances and flanking windows. The structural system combines free-standing columns—placed in pairs near the central axis—and attached pilasters set against the wall. The free-standing columns support a broken curved pediment above the main portal and frame the central access, while the pilasters define the lateral portals and openings. The second body is composed of three bays. The central bay contains a broken curved pediment typical of Baroque architecture, above which are the choir window, a medallion of Constantine Augustus, and the coat of arms of Colombia. This section is framed by four smaller Corinthian columns, while the side bays contain blind semicircular arches flanked by pilasters. At the ends of this level are the coat of arms of Archbishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo and the statue of Saint Turibius to the south, and the emblem of the Claretians and the statue of Saint Peter Claver to the north. The upper body functions as a bell tower with a rectangular plan and a single central bay framed by pilasters. At its extremities, above the second level, are the statues of Saint Louis Bertrand and Saint Rose of Lima. The upper section contains the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XV, a semicircular-arched opening through which the image of Jesus Christ appears, a clock face, and, at the summit, the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Interior Upon entering the temple through any of its three large doors, the first space encountered is the antecoro, located at the foot of the temple below the choir loft, which serves as a vestibule, a transition space to the other areas of the temple. The width of the antecoro coincides with the three central bays of the façade. Above the antecoro is the choir loft, where the pipe organ is located. After the antecoro is the longitudinal nave, which extends to the presbytery; above it is a series of diaphragm arches that rest on the transverse walls that define the space of the sixteen side chapels, eight on each side, distributed longitudinally. Between the ceiling located between the diaphragm arches are the eight large paintings by Maestro Ricardo Acevedo Bernal. As already mentioned, each side chapel is clearly demarcated by the transverse walls; at the beginning of each wall is a column, which acts as a frame for each chapel. This column has a Corinthian capital and a smooth shaft, the latter having in its first third a ring-like molding on which a station of the cross is located. Of the sixteen chapels, fourteen of them have large niches that protrude from the wall to the exterior, allowing each to have windows within the niche. Around each niche, an altarpiece made of different materials is developed. The chapels communicate with each other through openings pierced in the walls dividing said chapels, giving the sensation of side aisles, which they really are not. The final chapels (corresponding to Cartagena and the Police) are larger than the others, this is because originally the area between these chapels corresponded to the first presbytery the temple had when it was inaugurated in 1916. Finally, we find the transept, which is the enlargement inaugurated in 1938 after acquiring some neighboring lands. The meeting between the transept and the longitudinal nave generates the crossing; to the west of this is a shallow apse, polygonal in shape; the crossing of these naves forms the Latin cross plan of the temple. The presbytery covers the area of the crossing and the shallow apse. In the south arm of the transept, on the west wall of this, is the main entrance to the sacristy, and to the east are the stairs to go down to the ossuary crypt; and in the north arm, to the west, is the altarpiece where the image of Anthony Mary Claret is venerated. The arms of the transept are unequal as they are conditioned by the shape of the lots that could be acquired for the enlargement, as unfortunately the necessary ones for the initially planned project could not be obtained. Even so, this inequality is almost unnoticeable inside, as the architect Antonio Stoute played with the internal perspective so that the viewer would not easily notice said inequality. The general floor plan of the Basilica covers 1,238 m² (not including the sacristy, ossuary crypt, and parish house). The capitals, the Stations of the Cross, the entablature, the moldings, and other ornamentation pieces inside the temple were made by the ornamentist and sculptor Colombo Ramelli, of the Ramelli workshop. Presbytery The presbytery of the temple has changed location twice, and the main altar with its altarpiece has changed three times. The first presbytery the temple had was the area located between the chapels of the National Police and Cartagena, i.e., the western end of the property donated by Mrs. Rosa Calvo. In that presbytery was located the first altar and main altarpiece with which the temple was consecrated and inaugurated in 1916. It must be taken into account that the altar was attached to the altarpiece, so they were part of the same structure; this is because before the Second Vatican Council, Mass was celebrated by the priest with his back to the congregation. Fr. José Payás briefly describes this first altarpiece: «... (in 1916) only on the back wall a simple golden wooden arch stood out sheltering the current image of the Sacred Heart, preserved today (1941) in the nativity altar ...» This quote indicates that the first main altarpiece is located in the Popayán chapel, and the comparison of style and structure with photographs confirms this; furthermore, said altarpiece is the only one without a match in the facing chapel. The oldest reference found of this first main altarpiece dates from 1916, the date of the church's consecration. This altarpiece is made of wood, previously covered with plaster that was polychromed or gilded with a yellow bole base. Today, this first altarpiece is preserved almost in its entirety, missing only two rosettes on the side pilasters. A new main altarpiece arrived between 1916 and 1919 (the second in the temple's history), in which the image of the Sacred Heart was venerated, currently stored in the sacristy deposit, accompanied on the sides by sculptures of the Virgin Mary (under the title of the Immaculate Heart), and Saint Joseph, currently located in the niches of the south and north arms of the transept. On 21 August 1938, the enlargement of the church was inaugurated, which is currently the transept of the building, and with this enlargement came the new area for the presbytery, thanks to the new lands acquired between 1925 and 1927. The new presbytery area is the area between the current four pillars that support the dome, i.e., the crossing. The second main altarpiece is moved to the new presbytery. According to historical documentation and the comparison of style, structure, and forms of the photographs of the second main altarpiece, it was determined that it is the same altarpiece currently located in the north arm of the transept, where the image of Saint Anthony Mary Claret is venerated. This altarpiece is made of wood, previously covered with plaster that was polychromed or gilded with a red bole base, and has several missing pieces. The third and current main altarpiece, including the current sculpture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was designed by the artist Ricardo Acevedo Bernal at the request of Fr. Pueyo and commissioned around 1950 from the "Talleres de Arte Granda" in Madrid, Spain, by the first parish priest of the Temple, Fr. Alfredo Martínez, with the help of donations collected by Fr. Ignacio Trujillo. During his visit to Spain that same year, Fr. Juan Punset "formalized the contract with Casa Granda for the altar of the Heart of Jesus in Madrid". Finally, in 1952, the altar and main altarpiece of the Voto arrived from Spain in 224 boxes received by Fr. Jesús Bahillo, parish priest. The assembly was carried out in 40 days; "three technicians came from the Madrid workshops: one in charge of the marble section; the second for the bronze parts; the third as a cabinetmaker and carving master". The main altarpiece and the former main altar are an architectural construction, built in concrete and veneered in marble of various colors. Therefore, between the presbytery floor and the crypt, an additional foundation and structure were built to transmit the loads to the ground; two load-bearing walls were built in an east-west direction and two columns connected by beams; in the spaces left between the walls, new ossuaries were installed. On 11 January 1953, Monsignor Emilio de Brigard Ortiz, auxiliary bishop of Bogotá, blessed the Tabernacle, Monstrance, and image of the Sacred Heart, and on 14 June of the same year it was consecrated by Bishop Pedro Grau Arola, Apostolic Vicar of Quibdó who received his episcopal consecration on 31 May 1953 at the Voto Nacional temple. Currently, this altar and main altarpiece are as installed by Casa Granda, except for the coat of arms of Colombia, which is a movable piece that was stolen years ago and replaced by the current plaster coat of arms. The presbytery is situated at the far end of the longitudinal nave, in the space comprising the crossing and the apse, directly under the dome. The crossing is the space generated by the intersection of the longitudinal nave and the transept. The presbytery is elevated by three steps from the rest of the temple and framed by the four pillars. It is enclosed from the general public by a bronze communion rail. In the presbytery are the main altar, the main altarpiece with the image of Jesus, two ambos, and two credence tables supporting two large statues of angels. The seated image of Jesus is the central sculpture of the entire temple; it is made of polychromed and gilded plaster with wooden appliqués, and the background disk is gilded and enamelled bronze. This sculpture exaggerates anatomical proportions to create an effect of grandeur on the viewer. The caryatids supporting the former altar table and the bases of the angels are gilded plaster. The balustrade of the communion rail is made of gilded bronze, as are the door decorations and the top of the tabernacle, which combine this technique with enamel (cloisonné). The appliqués on the pillar shafts are patinated (black) bronze. The ambos are made of pink marble with gilded bronze appliqués. Side chapels The 16 side chapels represent the 14 episcopal sees that existed at the time of the temple's consecration: three archdioceses: Cartagena, Popayán, and Medellín; and 11 dioceses: Jericó, Cali, Ibagué, Garzón, Manizales, Socorro, Santa Marta, Pamplona, Pasto, Antioquia, and Tunja (although some dioceses are now archdioceses); additionally, two chapels were included for Panama (which at that time was no longer part of Colombia) and the National Police. In general terms, the altarpieces of the chapels have the following construction stages: the altarpieces of the 16 church chapels, before 1913, had as initial pieces tables with stone columns without polychromy. the altarpieces of the Manizales Chapel and the Antioquia Chapel have stone bases that were carved in 1913. the altarpieces of the Cali Chapel, Socorro Chapel, and Santa Marta Chapel have bases made of colored marbles by Italian Marble Works, between 1916 and 1920. the altarpieces of the Jericó Chapel and the Medellín Chapel have bodies made by Italian Marble Works in colored marbles, between 1916 and 1920. the altarpieces of the Panama Chapel, Cali Chapel, Ibagué Chapel, Garzón Chapel, Manizales Chapel, Socorro Chapel, Tunja Chapel, Antioquia Chapel, Pasto Chapel, Pamplona Chapel, and Santa Marta Chapel have bodies made of polychromed wood by Maestro Eugenio Vargas, between 1916 and 1919. the altarpieces of the Cartagena chapel and the National Police chapel were remodeled in colored marbles and bronze pieces in 1954 by Talleres de Arte Granda. Initially, the niches of the altarpieces were not deep, so the sculptures were located on the intrados of each altarpiece, but in 1956 the fourteen niches of the side chapels were rebuilt and enlarged in more durable material. The first elements that adorned the 16 chapels from the first decade of the church's construction were the altar table and its stone columns, but without any altarpiece, as mentioned in one of the chronicles by Fr. Martín Jové in 1913: "The chapels, now small side aisles formed by closed walls down to the bottom, only with a table...". The oldest known image of the altarpieces is a photograph of the Pasto chapel, consecrated on 23 September 1916, published in the serial publication El Gráfico that same month. In said photograph, the stone table that still exists can be seen, as well as the arches allowing people to move between the chapels. A series of photographs published in various printed media in different years allows us to analyze that the altarpieces did not initially have a deep niche as they do today. For example, in one of the photographs from 1920, the altarpiece of the Medellín chapel had a flat window instead of the current deep niches; this window was the initial structure that preceded the current niches. This altarpiece is currently preserved with all its pieces and structure, except for the current niche. This allows us to understand the initial way in which the sculptures were located on the intrados of each altarpiece, without the current deep niche. However, another photograph published in 1922 of the altarpiece of the Tunja chapel, which houses the sculptural group of the Crucifixion, clearly shows a shallow niche, presenting a shallow vaulted space very close to the cross, indicating that some altarpieces had a small initial niche starting from the intrados of the semicircular arch, where the sculptures were located. Another altarpiece for which information is available is that of the Cali chapel. In 1919, "the sculptural group of the Assumption arrived at the Cali chapel" and its altar, made by Italian Marble Works and by Maestro Eugenio Vargas, cost 3000 pesos. There is a photograph taken in 1948 in which it can be seen that the sculpture is still located on the intrados, exactly on the edge. The windows or structure of the current deep niche are not yet visible, which may mean that the current niches had not yet been installed by that year. No specific information is available for the remaining side altarpieces; however, it is known that their completion spanned several years, as in 1922 bazaars continued to be held "For the benefit of the temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (...) and the completion of some altars". Fr. José Payas relates the evolution of the church from 1912 to 1941, indicating that the completion of the altarpieces extended until the end of the 1920s: The glory of having the first altar completely finished with its altarpiece of local marble -Italian Marble Works- and its group of the 4th joyful mystery belongs to the diocese of Medellín, which had it finished in September 1926. That of Tunja with its 5th sorrowful mystery and that of Garzón with the Sorrowful Virgin were also the first to fulfill this sacred commitment. This beautiful idea has not yet been fully realized. As a curious fact, it is worth adding that the diocese of Panama, now an archdiocese, also has its altar and altarpiece finished and beautiful: that of the Virgin of Perpetual Help. The altarpieces of the Cartagena and National Police chapels are the most recent, made of colored marbles and bronze pieces by "Talleres de Arte Granda" in Madrid, installed in 1954 by technicians who came from Spain, consecrated in 1963 by Fr. Jorge Restrepo (parish priest) and blessed by Msgr. Pedro Grau Arola. Originally, the Cartagena chapel was to house the sculpture "of the Heart of Mary" and that of the National Police "of Saint Joseph"; this would clarify the differences between these two altarpieces and the remaining 14, as they are the only ones with bronze work and have under the altar table the characteristic symbols of both figures: the monogram of Mary and the flowering rod of Saint Joseph. Both altarpieces were designed considering both form and materials; however, the Cartagena altarpiece is lower in height than that of the National Police, which is why they probably resorted to mural painting imitating the top of the other altarpiece to give the appearance of the same finish, since the Cartagena altarpiece is not completely finished in marble. It is noteworthy that the sculptures currently located in these altarpieces are the Virgin of Fátima in the Cartagena Chapel and the Virgin of Carmen in the National Police chapel. This could be explained by the lower height of the niches in these two chapels relative to the larger size of the Heart of Mary and Saint Joseph sculptures; this reason possibly explains the need to find a new place for these two images, for which two spaces were adapted, consisting of arches located in the south and north arms of the transept, just to the sides of the presbytery, where two niches were created, each with its own marble altar table. In the south niche is the sculpture of the Heart of Mary, and in the north niche is the sculpture of Saint Joseph. Finally, in 1956, the fourteen niches of the side altars were rebuilt and enlarged in more durable material, as they are today. These are the chapels on the left, facing the altar. They are the following: These are the chapels on the right, facing the altar. They are the following: Artistic elements Paintings Oil paintings Between 1917 and 1920, Maestro Ricardo Acevedo Bernal designed and executed the 10 paintings done in oil on canvas, whose work had a total value of 4000 pesos paid by Fr. Pueyo de Val before his transfer as bishop of Pasto. According to Claretian memoirs, every first Friday of the month, Acevedo came to receive communion at the Voto and during the day he would stay in the choir painting the paintings. For the 10 paintings, he charged the sum of four thousand pesos, which the Claretians themselves recognize as intrinsic, due to the great work and artistic quality of the works; it was more of a kind gesture, a gift. In 1989, on the jubilee commemoration (75 years) of the Claretian community in Colombia, Fr. Rafael María Cuéllar took the opportunity and "initiated steps to restore the beautiful paintings of Maestro Acevedo Bernal", but these steps were unsuccessful as the paintings were not restored and currently suffer from an advanced state of deterioration. The 10 paintings consist of the 8 large canvases adorning the ceiling of the longitudinal nave and the 2 paintings located in the Pamplona and Ibagué chapels, respectively. These works generally stand out for the religious style of the recreated scenes, which continue the guidelines of colonial art, in accordance with the canons of Catholic art treatise writers, such as Juan Interián de Ayala, who established the ways of painting scenes and standardizing religious images related both to the life of Jesus and to hagiographic paintings. This allows us to analyze how even in the 20th century, artists employed by the church, like Acevedo, continued to be guided by these norms of representation established by the Council of Trent in Europe, repeating its symbolism, colors, and attributes, and even the way of naming the iconographic themes for the works. Artistically, it is necessary to point out the quality of the artistic work achieved in these large-format paintings, with life-size figures that accentuate the realism of the scene and a palette abundant in colors that, through the use of blue and brown tones, achieve dramatic shadows. The varnish was used locally, highlighting the difference between the planes of the work. The Adoration of the Magi: The work depicts the scene where the three Magi, having found Jesus by following a star, lie before him to adore him and offer him gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Here Acevedo created the work following the same guidelines of art treatise writers like Juan Interián de Ayala. The Holy Family: Here, Maestro Acevedo represented the Holy Family maintaining the canons of the religious scene and explicitly showing attributes of the Passion of Christ, such as the cross on which he is crucified, the crown of thorns with which he was crowned in mockery while being scourged, and the lance that pierced his side at the crucifixion. The Wedding at Cana: This scene describes the first miracle performed by Jesus, which took place at a wedding in Cana of Galilee attended by his mother and disciples. Maestro Acevedo followed iconographic stipulations, preserving the canons of representing the religious scene in the essence of the image, but allowed himself to vary the composition by placing Jesus in the center, with the bride and groom to his right, the groom offering three jars and a servant to the left, the other three. Suffer the little children to come unto me: Maestro Acevedo normally followed what was indicated in the treatises but incorporated as participating figures in the scene Fr. Otero and Msgr. Rubio y Sánchez, who stood out in the consolidation of the Claretian community in Colombia and in the construction of the Voto Nacional temple. Furthermore, "on the painter's initiative, he used children from Bogotá families as models". The Transfiguration of Jesus: Acevedo followed what was indicated in the treatises, including exactly the indicated figures, the radiances, and the white clothing of Jesus. The work represents the scene of Jesus and three of his apostles, Peter, James, and John, on a mountain praying. On the mountain, Jesus begins to shine with bright rays of light, then the prophets Moses and Elijah appear beside him. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem", which has a large number of figures and a richness in its composition. The work depicts the scene of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, which takes place in the days leading up to the Last Supper, marking the beginning of his passion. Hence, the work is the predecessor of the one that follows. This scene is recreated according to the stipulations of the Scriptures and the canons of art treatise writers, such as Juan Interián de Ayala. The Last Supper: The design includes preliminary work of three sketches, in which the location of the figures, the background, the proportion, and foreshortenings of the bodies varied. The work represents the scene of the Last Supper in the last days of the life of Jesus of Nazareth as narrated in the New Testament. The religious character of the scene corresponds to a classic iconographic theme recreated in Latin America since the colonial period. Representation of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and the revelation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus: The only scene among the 10 oil paintings that does not allude to an episode in the life of Jesus, but to a hagiographic event that occurred to the saint belonging to the Order of the Visitation. On 16 June 1675, Jesus appeared to Sister Margaret Mary with his heart open, and pointing with his hand to his heart, according to her testimony, said Heart was surrounded by flames, crowned with thorns, with an open wound from which blood flowed, and from the interior emerged a cross. Vertically positioned, presiding over the chapels of Pamplona and Ibagué, are the paintings "The Prayer of Jesus in the Garden – The Agony of Gethsemane" and "The Coming of the Holy Spirit – Pentecost", also works by Maestro Acevedo. In the first, the artist continued with what was iconographically indicated by the conciliar treatise writers, but also used additional elements that help the observer link the theme with the passion of Christ, since the angel in a green mantle, besides carrying the cross, holds the crown of thorns in his right hand, which pertains to an iconographic theme called The Agony of Gethsemane. Regarding the painting The Coming of the Holy Spirit, this scene corresponds to an iconographic theme called Pentecost, which Maestro Acevedo represents following the guidelines of art treatises. For the realization of these works, Maestro Acevedo made a preliminary study with pencil sketches, some even colored with watercolor, which were published together with the news of the installation of the paintings in the church in 1920 in Revista Cromos. These sketches help to analyze the meticulous work of proportions and metrics, the organization of the composition and its planes according to elements such as depth and perspective. Maestro Acevedo titled the sketches of these works as follows: "For the mural painting at the Voto Nacional, Peace ushers in the century", works that, when installed on the ceiling in a horizontal position, give the appearance of mural painting. These sketches are preserved in the Graphic and Documentary Archive of the National Museum of Colombia. Mural paintings In the basilica, there are two groups of mural painting: the first is located on the pendentives and the second integrates the architectural spaces of the building. The first group is located on the pendentives, below the dome drum, just above the presbytery; these are four paintings of notable artistic and aesthetic quality, as the compositions of each image have a number of elements and attributes that compose the iconographic scene of the four biblical evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Unfortunately, no information has been found in the serial publications of the temple or the Claretian Community, nor even in the epistolary documents of the Claretian fathers, so the authorship of these four works is unknown, although it is presumed they were made in 1938 when the dome and transept of the Church were inaugurated. The second group is made up of sections distributed in 28 spaces corresponding to the modules between arches and columns in the ceiling and the vaults of each chapel and the south and north arms of the transept, also including the mural painting preceding the stained glass dome vault. This mural painting is decorative, functioning by imitating moldings, thus it is a complement or visual architectural reinforcement that enriches the different architectural spaces of the temple through a design of geometric figures and phytomorphic motifs, combined with a color palette, replicated along the walls, ceiling, and vaults with details that adjust to the specific forms of each area. It also accentuates the religious symbolism of the temple. The author of the decorative mural painting is the artist Colombo Ramelli, of the Ramelli workshop. In general, more than 60% of the mural painting has been intervened on different occasions, a fact corroborated by the mural study carried out in 2012 through the elaboration of stratigraphic test pits. Sculptures Façade sculptures The temple's façade is adorned by a sculptural ensemble divided into three groups corresponding to: 1) statues, 2) shields, and 3) decorative elements attached to the façade. The statues are a group of 5 elements, which are important works on the façade because they are unique and original works. The dominant element is a cast iron sculpture with a gilded finish of Jesus standing in a victorious pose, raising his right hand and holding a wooden cross in his left hand, on the horizontal crossbeam of which is the Latin phrase "In hoc signo vinces" (by this sign you will conquer), and on his chest he displays a flaming heart wrapped in a crown of thorns. The statue is at the top of the façade and was blessed and installed on 8 December 1913 in a pompous ceremony. There is also a set of four statues made of cast cement with an iron frame inside, corresponding to different American saints (Saint Rose of Lima, Saint Turibius, Saint Louis Bertrand, and Saint Peter Claver), designed by Ricardo Acevedo Bernal and made by the Argentine sculptor Juan C. Atehortúa. The statues of Saint Turibius, Saint Louis Bertrand, and Saint Peter Claver were delivered and installed in 1914, and that of Saint Rose of Lima was installed in 1915. Atehortúa was a graduate of the National School of Fine Arts, where he surely had contact with Maestro Acevedo Bernal and with the ornamentation work of the Ramellis. These saints were related to the Viceroyalty of Peru and the Viceroyalty of New Granada, and iconographically show relevance as part of the façade decoration, insofar as they reinforce the idea of a distinct (American) religious language that complements the figure of the victorious Jesus as the central theme of the entire Voto Nacional, which is positioned above (literally and metaphorically) all the saints on the façade. It is noteworthy that the location of the American saints on the two sides of the façade, on the two upper levels, serves as a frame of reference for the central decorative element: the coat of arms of Colombia. In that sense, with Christ at the top, the four American saints protect and guard the Republic of Colombia. Likewise, on the façade, there is a group of shields sculpted in stone or cement corresponding to those of the Republic of Colombia, of Pope Benedict XV, of Archbishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo, and of the Claretians, in addition to the medallion of Constantine Augustus and a small shield with the letters IHS, a monogram of Jesus. These elements were apparently made at the same time as the initial construction of the façade, between 1913 and 1915. The author of these carvings is unknown, although the coat of arms of Colombia and the medallion of Constantine Augustus were designed by Ricardo Acevedo Bernal, made of cement and sand mortar with a stone-like finish, and executed by the D'Achiardi workshop, directed by Pedro Julio D'Achiardi, an Italian sculptor and ornamenter who settled in Colombia at the end of the 19th century and participated around 1926 in the remodeling of the Ibagué Cathedral. The coat of arms of Colombia has a cross at the top from which rays emanate, and in its center is a heart corresponding to the iconography of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The shield together with the cross is 1.96 m high. At the bottom of said shield appears the manufacturer's inscription "TALLERES D'ACHIARDI". This coat of arms of Colombia is the central element in the decoration of the façade, not only because of its literal location in the center of the second body, but also on a symbolic level for representing the Colombian homeland, consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the objective and supreme act that Archbishop Bernardo Herrera Restrepo proposed with the Voto Nacional. The interplay of Catholic symbols, such as the four American saints, complements the message by framing this shield. Below and more discreetly, a medallion of Constantine Augustus (Flavius Valerius Constantinus) is observed, who was a Roman emperor and the first to grant freedom of worship to Christianity. The image of Constantine is a direct allegory to the union of politics and religion, thus reinforcing the language of the entire ensemble. Also noteworthy from this group are the ecclesiastical shields, which are a decorative exaltation to honor the memory of the promoters and builders of the temple. On the south side is the episcopal coat of arms of Archbishop Bernardo Herrera, author of the Voto Nacional pastoral letter, indicating his important role in the conceptualization of the temple and his personal decision to execute it. On the north side is the coat of arms of the Claretians, the religious order that took charge of the temple's construction and currently guards it. At the top, where the third body begins, is the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XV, during whose pontificate (1914–1922) the Voto Nacional temple was consecrated. These ecclesiastical shields, including the small shield with the IHS monogram, are sculpted in sandstone. Finally, there are the decorative elements attached to the façade, such as the moldings and capitals. The author of the carvings of these elements is unknown, although it is possible they were also the work of the D'Achiardi workshop, especially the capitals due to the characteristics of the materials, as these are made of cement and plaster with a stone-like finish. This façade was the one Fr. Pueyo designed with the help of Maestro Acevedo Bernal. The central door of the façade is decorated with cast bronze pieces. On each leaf of the central door, there are 12 quaterfoils of equal proportions, framed by a simple gilded molding, in the center of each is a trefoiled cross with equal arms. In the corners of each quatrefoil is a fleur-de-lis containing the word PAX, peace in Latin. These fleurs-de-lis are placed in such a way that they point to the trefoiled cross, indicating that peace is in Christ, as indicated by several references in the Bible, such as the Gospel of John (14:27-31), when Jesus says: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you". On the mullions separating the quatrefoils, there are alternating open pomegranates in which their red seeds can be seen, and five-pointed radiant stars (associated with the military world). Also, between the upper mullions are the coat of arms of Colombia (north leaf) and a mantle with a royal crown (south leaf) containing a flaming heart wrapped in a crown of thorns surrounded by olive branches. The pomegranate is a fruit found on the coats of arms of Colombia and Bogotá; it is also a reference to New Granada (the old name of Colombia). In heraldry, the pomegranate is a symbol of concord and unity. From all these decorative elements, a clear political-religious content is read, in accordance with the language of the entire temple. Although there are no direct references to these decorative pieces, the possibility that they are part of the initial design of the façade is suggested by old photos in which these pieces are visible. Even so, the author of these elements is unknown, or whether they were designed with the mediation of Maestro Ricardo Acevedo Bernal or Colombo Ramelli. Before the restoration of the façade, the sculptures presented serious conservation problems, due on the one hand to their manufacturing technique and on the other, to their prolonged exposure to a polluted environment due to being located outdoors. Of these, the statues of Saint Peter Claver and Saint Louis Bertrand were the most affected, presenting cracking and fracturing of the cement; these cracks also allowed corrosion of the internal metal. For example, the sculpture of Saint Louis Bertrand had a missing piece in the central part that created a cavity that served as a pigeon nest and, in the medium term, could lead to structural failure. The other two statues, Saint Turibius and Saint Rose of Lima, suffered superficial deterioration caused by weathering conditions and deterioration of the paint layer. They presented black stains associated with environmental pollution by sulfur dioxide together with biological growth and colonization, which were causing green stains, affecting the sculptures and their characteristics. Something similar occurred with the shields and other decorative elements, which, besides black stains, presented an exaggerated amount of accumulated dirt caused by pigeon droppings. The iron statue of Jesus showed corrosion and abrasion. Traces of a red layer that was part of an anti-corrosive coating were also found; it is unknown if the state of the work at that time was part of an alteration process caused by the environment or if it was subjected to an inadequate cleaning process that eliminated the original patinas or coatings. The Claretian memoirs mention that the image, apparently imported from Germany, is "gilded bronze", so it is possible that the gilding was its original color. The central door presented dirt, graffiti, and multiple missing bronze pieces due to theft and vandalism. For example, the mantle-shaped piece containing the flaming heart is slightly raised at the bottom due to a theft attempt in which they tried to tear it off the door. Permanently exhibited sculptures inside The sculptures permanently exhibited inside the temple are an important sample of 20th-century imagery, brought from different parts of Europe, especially Spain and Portugal, a provenance indicated by marks or signatures inscribed on each of these works. This sculptural collection preserved today in the basilica is the result of the efforts of the Claretian priests and various donors who contacted renowned art houses or importers of artistic works from Europe to Bogotá. According to historical records that are still preserved, several sculptures were contracted in 1919 directly by Fr. Pueyo de Val with the businessman José Candela Albert, from the city of Valencia, Spain: the Crucifixion, that of Carmen, that of the Presentation of the Child Jesus, and that of the Angustias. These works were made thanks to the collection of silver items donated by the faithful, organized in the Temple, and with which the businessman was paid. Mostly, the Candela workshop made its sculptures in carved and polychromed wood, with gold leaf and glass eyes. In some works, the least intervened, the following inscription can be seen: "Fábrica de Ornamentos. Talleres de escultura. José Candela Albert. Santo Tomás 18 Valencia, España"; and they are currently located in the Tunja, Manizales, Medellín, and Garzón chapels. The sculpture of the Virgin of Angustias or of Sorrows appears in several publications of the time and in photographs of Holy Week processions. Likewise, Fr. Martín Jové commissioned in that same year (1919) from "Casa Rius" in Barcelona, Spain, other images, which were: those of the Heart of Mary, Saint Joseph, and Perpetual Help, costing 3,000 pesos. In addition, the sculptural group of the Assumption made by the same house, currently located in the Cali chapel, also arrived in 1919, which was made of carved, polychromed wood, with gold leaf, and also commissioned by Fr. Jové, who paid 1,500 pesos for it. The group was blessed on 12 July 1919 by Msgr. Antonio María Pueyo. A few years later, the images of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne would arrive, also made by Casa Rius and likewise paid for by Fr. Jové. The sculptures made by Casa Rius are marked with the signature of the different artists who made them and with the corresponding date. The image of the Resurrection was acquired in one of the stores in Bogotá, originally commissioned by one of the towns of the diocese, but when they found it too large, they did not wish to receive it. The images of Saint Anthony and Saint Francis of Paola were also acquired by Fr. Jové; they are from the "Taller El Arte Cristiano" in the city of Olot, one of the most prominent religious imagery workshops in Spain. In 1930, the temple bought "two beautiful images, that of the Nativity and that of Saint Thérèse", both made of polychromed wood, with gold leaf and glass eyes, from Casa Rius. Years later, in 1960, a sculptural shipment arrived from Spain consisting of two large carved angels (currently accompanying the main altarpiece) and "a gigantic carved image of the Blessed Virgin of the Miraculous Medal", (currently located in the Antioquia chapel) and were made by "Talleres de Arte Granda" in Madrid, one of the most prominent artistic workshops in Spain. The angels, almost 2 meters high, are in a modern Baroque style, made of carved wood, donated by the lawyer Álvaro Fonnegra, and first used on 21 August 1960. Each carving cost 2000 dollars, including the structures on which they rest, consisting of "two credence tables and small marble tables in white and red jasper tones, with bronze supports for the projecting micro-altar console, tabernacles with gilded bronze veneers and strips of blue enamel". The enormous image of the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal is made of carved and polychromed wood, with glass eyes and gold leaf; it was blessed on 17 September of the same year (1960) by the then bishop of Santa Fe de Antioquia, Msgr. Guillermo Escobar Vélez. Sculptures stored in the deposit In the deposit adjacent to the sacristy, the images used to be displayed on certain dates of the liturgical year are stored. Among the most outstanding sculptures located in this enclosure is the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, made of carved and polychromed wood, signed and dated 1919, from the Rius Workshop in Barcelona. This image was the second image of the Sacred Heart that the basilica had and presided over the temple from the main altarpiece. This image was part of the sculptural group of the Holy Family, located from 1919 to 1952 in the presbytery, such that the Sacred Heart was placed in the main altarpiece, and together, to the right, was the statue of the Virgin Mary (under the title of the Immaculate Heart), and to the left, Saint Joseph (these images are currently located in the side niches of the crossing). The other images stored in the deposit make up three groups: the first concerns the Holy Week floats and special church festivals; the second and third are nativity scenes of different formats and sizes, with cardboard, plaster, and textile supports on a metal structure. The large-format images that make up the processional floats and one of the nativity scenes were made by the Taller El Arte Cristiano, of Olot, Spain, and made of the material called "cartón-madera" paste. These sculptures were imported by order from Spain, from the "Almacén Lourdes" of Mr. Antonio Brando (located behind the Bogotá cathedral, on Carrera 6). He requested them from the Spanish workshop, according to the client's tastes. There they placed the images on wooden bases with a hexagonal or octagonal shape, two steps, and modulated edges, to which the small silver-colored metal plaque with black lettering was glued, saying "Taller El Arte Cristiano". This Spanish workshop, which produced two dozen sculptures for the basilica, has an artisan tradition from 1880 to the present. The sculptures made of cardboard-wood paste (actually plaster reinforced with textile fibers) have the affirmative concession from the Sacred Congregation of Rites and Indulgences, therefore considered noble and venerable material, as stated in the decree of 1 April 1887 issued by said congregation. Another outstanding sculpture is the image of the Recumbent Christ, made of carved, polychromed wood with glass eyes, and together with its sepulcher, was made by the Candela Workshop. These works remain stored almost all year in the Sacristy deposit, but during Holy Week they are displayed in the south arm of the Temple's transept, next to the Main Altar. Angels at the base of the dome At the corners of the exterior base of the dome drum, there are four sculptures of angels (cherubs) with the monogram of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. There is no information about the author of the design or manufacture of these four angels, although due to their location and characteristics, it is known that they were part of the dome and transept construction project completed in 1938. Each sculpture consists of a head protruding from the top of a pointed shield containing the monogram of the Sacred Heart; on the sides of the shield, two wings unfold, one on each side. The sculptures were originally made with a yellow/ocher colored cement and sand mortar. Each sculpture has an internal metal structure supporting it. Before restoration, the sculptures showed superficial erosion caused by weathering conditions and also presented cracks and fissures in the cement. They also exhibited black and green stains due to environmental pollution and biological colonization. Stained glass windows Chapel stained glass windows The stained glass windows of the side chapels of the basilica were designed by the artist Ricardo Acevedo Bernal under the ideas of the priest Antonio María Pueyo de Val, who was in charge of the temple's construction between 1911 and 1916. The windows were installed between 1915 and 1916, cost around 10,000 pesos, and were made in Madrid, Spain. The stained glass windows are made of painted glass, made by the Casa Maumejean, a family business founded in 1860 by Jules Pierre Maumejean, who at the age of 23 established his first workshop in Pau (France) on Rue Montpensier. The founder's sons expanded the business to Madrid and Paris. Joseph Jules Maumejean created the Maumejean workshop at Paseo de la Castellana No. 64 in Madrid in 1898, where the 16 stained glass windows of the Voto Nacional were made, as stated in the signature on each window. The Maumejean workshops are a prestigious Artistic Stained Glass House that has had numerous commissions, not only from France and Spain, where they were established, but also from the rest of Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. Some of their best-known works adorn the Bayonne Cathedral, the Biarritz Town Hall, the Seville Cathedral, the Burgos Cathedral, the Cathedral of María Inmaculada in Vitoria, the Diocesan Museum of Sacred Art of Álava, and the Basilica of the Assumption in Lekeitio; they became the official stained glass artists for the Royal House of Alfonso XII. In Colombia, the stained glass windows of the Medellín Cathedral and the Basilica of Chiquinquirá are also from this house. Each stained glass window has outstanding aesthetic value, both for its handling of a wide range of colors and for the fine work in establishing shadows, lights, and the saturation of tones; even the assembly of the glass plays with the composition of the designs of each scene. The group of stained glass windows in the side chapels illustrates a repertoire of saints, philosophers, and theologians who upheld Christian dogmas, iconographically showing 17 centuries of the history of the Catholic Church. Documents reference 16 stained glass windows, but today 14 are preserved, as the stained glass windows of the Cartagena and National Police chapels disappeared, possibly due to the modification of the old presbytery, as the current altarpieces of these chapels were made by Talleres de Arte Granda, and in one of them, the remains of the frame of one of the windows can be seen. Each stained glass window contains one or two saints, each corresponding to a different century, starting chronologically with the Panama chapel (3rd century) and ending with the Popayán chapel (19th century) as follows: The stained glass windows on the left, facing the altar. They are the following: The stained glass windows on the right, facing the altar. They are the following: Stained glass windows of the choir loft and the south and north arms of the transept In the choir loft, there is a painted glass stained glass window facing the main façade; its date of manufacture and installation is unknown; however, based on photographic records, it is concluded that it was not before 1938, as in the records from those years, that opening can be seen closed. However, according to the inscription at the bottom of the stained glass window, it is known that it was made of painted glass by the "Vitrales Artísticos de Colombia" factory, located in Cali, at Carrera 8 No. 15-46. No further information about the factory is available, other than its location. The stained glass window has great chromatic richness, depicting Saint Cecilia, patroness of music, identifiable by her attributes iconographically represented as playing a musical instrument, especially a pipe organ, as can be seen in the window. The stained glass window has a structure of flat mullions that serve as the main support and form a grid dividing the window into nine fields. Within each of these fields, the glass pieces are joined with lead and tin solder. Before restoration, the Saint Cecilia stained glass window was generally in good condition, although it presented dirt, misalignments, and loose pieces, as well as occasional missing glass pieces located at one end that did not alter the scene of the work. In the south and north arms of the transept, there are 6 stained glass windows, 3 on each side, for which there is also no record of the date of manufacture and installation, nor who made them, as they lack any signature; however, the similarity in colors and brushstrokes suggests they could have been made by the same house that made the choir stained glass window. Currently, these stained glass windows are not complete; fragments are missing, due to the bomb explosion against the DAS building that occurred on 6 December 1989, and the one that suffered the most damage was the north arm window. The missing parts were replaced with corrugated colored glass. In the stained glass windows of the south arm, we find the following images: Consolatrix Afflictorum, Regina Mundi, and Regina Apostolorum (with Saint Anthony Mary Claret). In the stained glass windows of the north arm, we have: Immaculate Heart of Mary, Isabel and Francis, and Legio Mariae. This series of stained glass windows shows scenes typical of medieval Marian iconography such as "Consolatrix Afflictorum" or "Regina Mundi" where Mary is crowned queen of the world and the Catholic Church. These scenes, however, are related to the devotion of Saint Anthony Mary Claret, who was very devoted to the Virgin Mary and founded the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, popularly known as Claretians. Before restoration, these stained glass windows presented misalignments of the assemblies between pieces, accumulated dirt such as dust and particulate matter, as well as dirt related to candle combustion inside the temple. But the main problem they continue to suffer, despite that area of the temple already being restored, is the missing glass pieces that interrupt the visual fabric, making it difficult to read the scenes. The Resplendent Sun stained glass window The temple has a double dome system; the exterior one has a very elongated drum upon which a glass dome with the colors of the Colombian flag rises; internally, there is a dome formed by a stained glass window 9.20 meters in diameter. The exterior dome cannot be considered a stained glass window as such, as it does not have the technical and artistic characteristics that indicate so. In contrast, the Resplendent Sun stained glass window, allegorically representing Christ, is an interior dome resting on a cylindrical wall, made up of a structure of riveted metal profiles forming twelve semicircular sections that provide the main support for the stained glass. Each of these sections is further divided with metal strips running parallel and perpendicular to the main ribs. These elements are linked together by means of screws and nuts. This distribution, by sections, serves as a metal frame for placing the colored glass that makes up the stained glass window, which are joined with lead strips and fixed with lead and tin solder. There is no data on its author or manufacturer. The stained glass window features a wide palette of yellows, reds, greens, and blues to create the image of a sun with wavy and straight rays, bordered by green waves. Most of these glasses are textured and have different finishes such as frosted, rain, or hammered. The relevance of the stained glass window lies in its central position, allowing it to be a source of light over the altar and main altarpiece, reinforcing them as the focal point of the temple. It is also a way to play with the metaphorical idea of Jesus as the light of peace. Associating Jesus with the sun is recurrent in Christian art. These types of representations are quite primitive and, according to the iconology of Ripa, have a Roman origin in the Adventus or festival of the arrival of emperors. In the Bible, there are several references that associate or relate Jesus to the sun, such as: Jesus shone "bright as the sun" in the episode of the transfiguration (Mt 17:2). And when the Lord dies on the Cross, Holy Scripture says, the sun was eclipsed (Lk 23:45). And if Christ is the sun, by extension so must his disciples be, "the righteous will shine like the sun". Likewise, the Gospel of John (8:12) is fundamental to this iconography by quoting Jesus himself saying: "I am the light of the world". Other sources directly relate the solar representation to the vision of Saint Margaret Mary (known for having received the apparitions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus), who saw a sun born from the heart of Jesus. Before restoration, the stained glass window presented serious problems; the frame showed plane deformations, missing parts, pitting corrosion and concretions, overpainting, and a large accumulation of dirt interfering with light entry. The stained glass showed weakening or loss of lead came, loss of color, scratches, streaks, a high degree of dirt, and missing glass. Its restoration was carried out during the second phase carried out between 2018 and 2020, which covered the transept and the domes. The stained glass window was carefully dismantled, the glass added during inadequate interventions it suffered was removed, the plane was recovered, the fractured original glasses were rejoined, the lead came were recovered, and the dirt was removed. After this entire restoration process, the stained glass window regained its splendor. Other notable elements Organ In the first decades of the temple's construction, there was an organ that was "occasionally obtained for 1,000 pesos, but it was not useful". Some time later, efforts were made to obtain a new instrument to give splendor to religious ceremonies. Finally, in 1932, the new organ arrived from Spain, built in Bilbao by the organ-building house "Nuestra Señora de Begoña" of Juan Dourte. The instrument was made of polychromed wood, with metal strings and ivory. It was blessed on 7 August 1932 and cost 15,000 pesos. The organ consists of 25 stops distributed across two manual keyboards and a keyboard played with the feet (pedalboard), which serves for the deep bass. It has 8 couplers combined with the three keyboards. All keyboards are arranged on a console, which is separate and placed in front of the organ with a view of the central nave. Its transmission is mechanical with an electric motor. Its origin and authorship make the organ of the votive temple a piece of great quality, as Juan Dourte was a prominent Spanish organ builder and his factory was a renowned organ-building house that had won a Grand Prize at the Barcelona International Musical Exhibition in 1929. The factory operated from 1924 in Begoña (Bilbao), manufacturing instruments not only for Spain, but also for several American countries and the Philippines. Crystal chandeliers There are four crystal chandeliers, which were made by Talleres de Arte Granda, arriving in 1954 as part of the presbytery order. Clock In the tower of the main façade of the basilica is the clock, blessed and inaugurated on 21 August 1938 by Archbishop Ismael Perdomo Borrero, along with the temple's enlargement (transept, crypt, and dome). On the occasion of the inauguration of the enlargement and the celebration of the fourth centenary of the founding of the Colombian capital, the municipality of Bogotá presented the temple with the clock; this was ratified in Agreement 35 of the City Council, granting "authorizations to the executive to make the transfers required for the purchase of a clock for the Voto Nacional temple". After installation, the clock was synchronized with the temple's smaller bells and with a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which, like a cuckoo, comes out at a certain hour; initially, it came out to indicate 7 in the morning, 12 noon, and 6 in the afternoon. However, the original sculpture that performed this task was replaced by one in resin and plaster, with a gilded finish and weather-resistant, probably due to the deterioration of the original. This sculpture is a gilded statue of Jesus standing, pointing with his left hand to his flaming heart, and his right hand raised in a blessing posture. The instrument is a gravity-powered mechanical tower clock, manufactured by the renowned German company J. F. Weule in its factory in the town of Bockenem, Lower Saxony, a company that existed from 1836 to 1966. The instrument is characterized by having three dials or faces made of copper sheets, located on the north, south, and east sides of the tower, on which the hours are represented by Roman numerals, and a striking mechanism consisting of three bells synchronized with the mechanism. The clock consists of two frames or cages of mechanisms. The main and larger one has three sections corresponding to the quarter-hour mechanism, which strikes the bells every 15 minutes and uses two bells for the bim bam; the hour mechanism, which strikes the largest bell the number of times corresponding to the hour; and the time mechanism, located in the center of the cage, which moves the hands, i.e., measures time, and is also the master mechanism. The second cage contains the mechanism that operates the door and the tray carrying the statue of Jesus to the outside; it can be programmed to come out as many times as desired. The cages are made of cast iron, the gears are bronze, and the shafts are iron. The pendulum bob is made of cast iron, and the rod holding it is wooden. The entire assembly was placed on a metal "table", with dimensions corresponding to the movement and protection of the pendulum. Access to the clock is via a spiral staircase from the choir to the belfry; behind two small wooden doors is the operating mechanism. On one of these doors, a document dated 12 February 1989 is attached, detailing the care of the instrument and mentioning the four mechanisms of the clock. Additionally, it indicates that the cuckoo mechanism is operated with ropes and how the movement should be performed for the statue to come out correctly. Currently, this winding system is no longer preserved and was replaced by a tray that works mechanically by means of wheels. In the first stage of the temple's restoration, which focused on the façade body, the clock was also intervened. But before this process, the instrument was, in general terms and without considering its particular mechanical functioning, in good condition. From an exclusively material point of view, it presented slight wear of its parts, something natural due to its years of operation, and also small points of corrosion on some metal parts, which are explained as normal alterations of these metals (mainly bronze and iron) due to interaction with the environment. Finally, the clock was restored in November 2017 by the renowned clockmaker Juan Carlos Llano Sendoya, who carried out meticulous restoration work. In this process, upon stripping the dials, it was found that they had undergone alterations; specifically, it was discovered that the number 4 was originally represented by "IIII", which is usual in this type of large-format clocks, and for some unknown reason was changed to "IV"; it was also discovered that initially the faces had the inscriptions "A. Duran" at the top and "Bogotá" at the bottom, which were covered with paint. It is unknown what they refer to, whether it could be an allusion to the importer/distributor of the clock. After the restoration process, the dials recovered their original appearance. The statue of Jesus was programmed to come out every day at 9 am, 12 noon, and 3 pm. Bells The basilica's belfry currently has five metal bells, each marked with a date and factory stamp. The first recorded bell was donated in 1913 by "a lady named Salustiana de Aldana, who had no more protection after God than a stall in the market square; with her savings, she managed to pay for the first bell, which cost her the sum of 333 pesos." However, this bell is no longer preserved; it was most likely replaced by the set of three bells that arrived in 1931 from Germany. This set consists of two small ones (approx. 40 cm high) and a medium one (approx. 60 cm high). The three bells are made of bronze, made by "Mefecerunt Franzfelillingsóhne Auolda Germania", and are currently part of the clock's striking mechanism in the belfry; however, they are the pieces that first arrived at the church of the entire clock mechanism, given that the clock would arrive seven years later. The bell sound system consists of external hammers striking them to produce the chimes, which are activated by pinions and chains from the clock mechanism. Three decades after the arrival of the German bells, two larger bells arrived from Spain, made of bronze, one called "Corazón de María" and the other "Corazón de Jesús", manufactured in June 1961 by the renowned workshop of the Portilla Brothers in Santander, Spain. Their sound system is swinging; therefore, each has its own clapper that sounds them when swung. This system is activated from the sacristy by electrical equipment and is used to announce religious services, hence they are also called liturgical bells. Baptismal font When Archbishop Ismael Perdomo elevated the Voto church to a parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Decree No. 16 of 12 March 1942, the temple automatically saw the need to acquire a baptismal font to administer the sacrament of baptism. Therefore, in October of that same year (1942), Mrs. Ana Lucía Palacios de Ruiz donated the baptismal font to the newly created parish. Originally, the font was located in an enclosure at the foot of the north entrance of the main façade; this enclosure served as a baptistery. Some time later, the font was moved to the north arm of the transept, near the presbytery, where it is currently located. The font is made entirely of marble of various colors, including the lid. The bowl (concave container into which water is poured) is octagonal, supported by a central pillar and four columns with Corinthian capitals and smooth shafts. Pavement The pavement of the temple presbytery is composed of white marble and was installed by Casa Granda in 1952 along with the entire new presbytery. In contrast, the pavement in the rest of the temple is composed of tiles known as artisan hydraulic tiles or hydraulic mosaic. From the beginning, the temple had a brick floor as pavement, as highlighted by Fr. Martín Jové in a letter from 1913: [...] brick floor [...]. When the remains of a corpse were brought, the floor was un-bricked to place it and then re-bricked. Next to the first column on the Calvary side are the remains of the young lady who donated the land, then a pasture, to build the chapel of the Sacred Heart. This pavement continued for several more years; the temple was consecrated in 1916 with this floor, and it was not until 1919 when "a mosaic floor was laid on the temple floor". The new pavement was achieved thanks to various donations obtained through advertisements in the Revista El Voto Nacional, in which the sums donated weekly by each family were published, and in exchange, benefits were offered, such as monthly healing Eucharists, posthumous Eucharists for several years after the donor's death, and even niches in the temple crypt for those who made the highest donations. According to Claretian memoirs, the "Voto Temple was one of the first buildings paved with tiles". The mosaic tile, also known as hydraulic mosaic, is a decorative pigmented cement tile that became popular between the 19th and 20th centuries, due to its variety of motifs, designs, and colors, and its low cost compared to other types of tiles, gaining great acceptance. Some businesses imported these tiles from Spain; however, factories like the Compañía de Mosaicos Hidráulicos y Granito Artificial, owned by Jesús María Tobón, which made the pavement for the Voto, provided their products at half the cost of those imported from Spain. Thanks to advertisements placed in national circulation print publications such as El Gráfico or the Revista El Voto Nacional, it became one of the best-known factories. Most of the pavement in the temple is green tile with white veins, and some red tiles forming Greek crosses scattered among the green ones. In contrast, in the middle of the pavement of the longitudinal nave, there is a strip running from the main entrance to where the presbytery begins, made up of tiles with repetitive phytomorphic and geometric motifs in red, white, green, and brown; these are the most striking and artistic. In general terms, these tiles have missing parts and a high degree of surface wear, resulting in a dull surface. Additionally, the pavement, in general, is not level, presenting subsidence in several areas due to the composition of the support layers and high soil moisture. Plaques Scattered throughout the interior of the Basilica are several plaques, mostly marble, commemorating various events; only one is located outside. Dependencies Ossuary crypt The Ossuary Crypt is located in a basement directly below the transept and the sacristy, and in a semi-basement located in the south courtyard, between the temple and the Claretian building; it has a total area of 623.23 m², of which 434.11 correspond to the basement and 177.35 m² to the semi-basement; it consists of several galleries containing the ossuaries; access to the enclosure is via a staircase located in the south arm of the transept. Due to the close link with the Claretian fathers and the temple, the mortal remains of Maestro Ricardo Acevedo Bernal and his wife lie in the ossuary crypt; they were brought on 10 January 1963 from Rome, Italy, where the artist had moved and where he later died. In the ossuary crypt are also the remains of Doña Rosa Calvo Cabrera, donor of a large part of the land for the temple, and of the Italian sculptor Pedro Julio D'Achiardi, ornamenter of the church façade. Sacristy The sacristy of the basilica is divided into two areas, located in the block southwest of the temple, which was part of the former Claretian headquarters. This block has several floors, mostly used by the Claretian community and not part of parish use. The main sacristy has direct access to the temple through a large door connecting to the south arm of the transept and through a smaller door connecting to a hallway, which leads to the back of the presbytery. The main sacristy, with an area of approx. 74.09 m², stores objects necessary for religious celebrations, such as unconsecrated hosts, chalices, chasubles, stoles, etc., and is restricted to the general public. In the center of this room is the "sacristy table", 5 m long x 2 m wide, with several compartments for storing liturgical items. The secondary sacristy or deposit, with an area of approx. 119.87 m², is located just after the main sacristy, but on a higher level, as a kind of mezzanine; this area mainly stores items not used daily, used for specific events of the year, such as Holy Week, December, the patronal feast, etc. Notes and references Notes References Bibliography See also Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bogotá List of Catholic basilicas List of National Monuments of Colombia External links Media related to Basílica del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, Bogotá at Wikimedia Commons Official website of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – El Voto Nacional Official website of the Archdiocese of Bogotá (in Spanish) Official website of the Claretian Missionaries in Colombia (in Spanish) Video of the ringing of the liturgical bells of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, before the restoration of the belfry. on YouTube