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Seen from afar, San Jose depends on buildings as the church of La Merced to have meaning. Its unmistakable and red metal tower remains a spear tasteful that gave us our grandparents. Today it is restored, decades after we began to clog it with cemented buildings that look like almost-drawers.

That same temple served as a “political prison” for the image of the Virgin of Los Angeles that left Carthage forgotten in the Church of Curridabat to lose the War of the League. It was Francisco Morazán who took the decision to return to “the very noble and fair” in 1842.

However, one year before the dictator Braulio Carrillo imposed an administrative division of San Jose, the two capitalin sectors born at that time were precisely del Carmen and La Merced. The oratory was del Carmen is located where the Ministry of Finance and representing the southern sector.

This church is located in [Av. 2-4/calle 12]. It is built in Gothic style with neoclassical elements. It is the oldest church in San Jose. It was designed by Lesmes Jimenez Bonnefil. It is distinguished by a sculpted wooden ceiling, slender spires and arched windows. It is faced by a high, ornate, concrete wall. The main entrance is a part of a high tower topped by the pointed arch dome. It is fronted by Braulio Carillo Park. In 2002 the Ministry of Culture gave 360 million colones for the renovation of its northern nave.

This somewhat more Gothic church is quite pretty from the outside, though a bit rustic and in need of some paint inside. La Merced has a history and valuable objects to ensure sufficiently a guided tour that deserves attention as well for ticos and foreigners. La Merced also saves copones and other sacred artifacts of great beauty.

Its interior has pictures of great value, including a Christ carved by the sculptor Manuel Zuniga (father from the also artist Paco Zúñiga), who hung himself from a cross to study the arrangement of muscles in a realistic way.

This church, for example, gives its name to the Merced district. It is also one of the finest examples of ancient and neo-Gothic style that are in the country, and was declared a Historic Architectural Heritage.

In addition the church has a tower, where are the bells and the original watch, where you can admire a panoramic view of part of the city.