Margarita Island: Basílica de Nuestra Senora del Valle

The Basílica de Nuestra Senora del Valle is by far the most spectacular church on the Margarita Island – not only its stunning with its Neo-Gothic architecture, but it also holds the priceless small statue of the Virgin Mary that was brought from Spain around 1530, going back back to the very beginning of Spanish presence in the Americas. The church was completed in its current form in 1864, but a smaller church stood here for several centuries prior. The exterior is defined by two symmetrical spires adorned with delicate stonework. The interior has three naves and central dime and many stained-glass windows. And of course the statue of the Virgin Mary! Every year in September 1, the statue is brought down so that thousands and thousands of pilgrims could touch it.