Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of Candlemas)

Buenos Aires 383
Humahuaca Cultural Center Tel. No. 0887-21199
Open Mondays through Sundays from 9a.m. to 9p.m

This church was built in 1631, and only its roof has been reformed. It has one-meter thick adobe walls and its high altar is completely, covered with thin gold sheets. The image of Our Lady of Candlemas patron saint of Humahuaca - dates back to 1640 and was carved in wood obtained from a prickly local plant ("cardón") and coated in plaster. Also on exhibition are an image of St. Anthony of Padua and 12 paintings,from the Cuzco school.

Humahuaca
The town of Humahuaca is located 126km. away from the city of San Salvador de Jujuy and lies 2,939m above sea level. It is on national route No. 9 and is one of the regions where one can appreciate genuine picturesque carnival celebrations and the cult to the "Pachamama" or mother earth. Houses are built of adobe and streets are very narrow. Noteworthy town buildings are its church, the town hall - seat of the old "Cabildo" - that has a clock weighing 1,800kg., which makes it one of the largest in South America, and contains an image of St. Francisco Solano that emerges at 12 o'clock noon and blesses the public. Facing the town hall is the Independence Monument depicting a running "chasqui" (native messenger). The sculpture is made of bronze and weighs 60 tons.