Church of San Roque
Plain colonial hermitage and former plague hospital chapel, its facade shaped by a corruption scandal that halted construction.
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About this audio guide
This guide to the Church of San Roque in Cartagena opens in 1654, when the city broke ground on a plague hospital and chapel dedicated to the pilgrim saint invoked against epidemics, with friars of the Order of San Juan de Dios running the ward. You'll hear the corruption accusations that reached the Spanish Crown and froze construction mid-build, and how the friars petitioned Cartagena's council to clear their names and finish what they started. It also follows the street outside, once called Calle de la Media Luna, and why its name eventually changed. Look at the facade the council let rise once the scandal had passed.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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