Iglesia de San Diego en Bogota, Bogota

The Church of San Diego, also called Nuestra Señora del Campo, gave names to the whole neighbourhood. Rather small in its appearance, it still contrasts with the modern look of the surrounding buildings. It was originally built in 1602 as a chapel to the San Diego de Alcala monastery. Back then, its architecture was simple--stone walls with various-sized windows and wooden railings. Several years after its foundation, the church had a legend about a nearby stone, shaped by some “miracle” as St. Virgin Mary, later becoming a sanctuary of sorts. The judge Juan Ortiz de Cervantes ordered the construction of a chapel, where the carved figure of the Virgin was placed at its center, playing a most important part in the solemn religious ceremonies of the times. The new church was built in 1620 and got its look in the authentic colonial style, designed by Bernardo Sánchez Muñoz.