Built high on a hill in the northeastern part of Old Town Quito looms a massive Gothic church, the Basílica del Voto Nacional, or as it is called by the locals ‘The Basílica’. In 1887, under the authority of Pope Leo XIII, the construction of this basilica was granted the go ahead, and on July 10, 1892, the first stone was placed. Between 1892 and 1909, the Heart of Mary Cathedral was constructed, but to continue construction donations were accepted from believers, who provided stones in exchange for engraving their names on them. Also In 1895, the State established a tax on salt to continue to fund the building and today they thank the people, as it would not have been possible without the cooperation of Quito citizens that paid this tax.
The Basílica was blessed by the Pope Juan Pablo (John Paul) II during his visit to Ecuador on January 30, 1985 and it was open to the people on July 23, 1988, though it is still technically unfinished. Local legend says that when the Basílica is completed, the end of the world will come.
The Basílica is considered by some to be the most important work of New-Gothic Ecuadorian architecture. It is reminiscent of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris due to its French architect Emilio Tarlier, but rather than having the traditional gargoyles, as seen on many cathedrals as rain downspouts, there are grotesque figures in the form of native Ecuadorian animals, such as iguanas, llamas, birds, and Galapagos tortoises that protrude from the church’s side.
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