The present church was constructed on the site of an earlier 16th-century
church that was finished in 1709, the Old Basilica. When this basilica
became dangerous due to the sinking of its foundations,
a modern structure called the New Basilica was built nearby; the original
image of the
Virgin of Guadalupe is now housed in this New Basilica.
Built between 1974 and 1976, the new Basilica, it has
a circular floorplan so that the
image of the Virgin can be seen from any point within
the building.
An empty crucifix symbolizes Christ's resurrection.
The choir is located between the altar and the churchgoers to indicate that
it, too, is part of the group of the faithful.
To the sides are the chapels of Santisimo and of Saint Joseph.
Its
seven front doors are an allusion to the seven gates of Celestial
Jerusalem
referred to by Christ.
_small_small.JPG)
_small_small.JPG)
_small.JPG)
_small_small.JPG)
