The size of the chapel, built in 1602 on the orders of Bishop Alonso Ramírez de Vergara, was increased in 1617 by Brother Gerónimo Mendez de la Tiedra. The chapel being dedicated to the worship of the Virgin of Guadalupe, it houses Brother Diego de Ocaña’s 1601 painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The public’s veneration of the image showing Sucre’s patron saint continues unabated.
A gold-plated silver layer was added to the original canvas in 1784, covering the Virgin’s mantle. Of the original painting only the Virgin’s head, her arms and the baby can still be seen.
For centuries, the canvas has been adorned with pearls and gems by humble followers and Bolivia’s historical figures alike.
