Ecuador: Quito – Basilica del Voto Nacional

a Basilica (Basilica del Voto Nacional) is a magnificent gothic cathedral in the center of Quito. It’s a massive building and the largest neo-gothic cathedral in Americas. French architect Emilio Tarlier designed it, drawing from cathedrals like Notre-Dame in Paris and Bourges in France. It was blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1985 and officially inaugurated in 1988, though it remains technically “unfinished.”It is nearly 400 feet high and visitors are allowed to get to the very top. Instead of traditional european gargoyles, the basilica is decorated with grotesque expressions of natural ecuadorian animals like Galapagos tortoises, armadillos and iguanas. The interior boasts stunning stained-glass windows and detailed carvings.