Zonas de Caracas

FM-35

Urban morphological unity and environmental value, unique among coastal cities founded by the Spaniards, are the main values of the historic center of La Guaira. The port city of the Caracas coastline lost many of its repre-sentative monuments in the 1812 earthquake, and thus has no colonial temples. Of the three it had, the parish church of San Pedro (1700), the church of the San Juan de Dios Hospice (1717) and El Carmen Chapel, only the latter was rebuilt. It was constructed on land donated by the Nuestra Señora del Carmen Guild, starting in 1776 and finished in 1810, only two years before the 1812 earthquake destroyed it. After years of neglect, it was rebuilt thanks to the determination of father José Bullos. It has three naves, separated by a series of low arches on pi-llars, replicating colonial construction experiences. Its façade is modest, and its sobriety exudes timid neoclassic forms. The tower is an important visual reference point that stands out from the irregular urban fabric that is adapted to the topography of downtown La Guaira. Inside there are images from colonial times, among which are El Calvario, left of the main altar; Nuestra Señora del Carmen, in the middle; and a figure of Christ being whipped, on the right. Restored in 2003 and 2004, it is a reference point within the center of La Guaira,