Salt Cathedral tour from Bogotá – Colombian identity carved in salt

WE ARE CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC, ROMAN…

Salt Cathedral tour from Bogotá – Colombian identity carved in salt

So many times I heard this in my childhood, back in the Colombian Caribbean:
“We are Catholic, Apostolic, Roman…”

So many times I heard this in my childhood, back in the Colombian Caribbean.

I’ve seen people whip themselves across the back…

and others climb Monserrate on their knees during Holy Week.

But this… this is different.

Crosses made by miners.

Men full of faith who decided to pay tribute to God.

That God who gives them the courage to do one of the hardest jobs there is…

one that many of you would never dare to do.

Over time, that tribute became a national wonder.

In every tunnel I walk through, and upon reaching this perfect dome,

I imagine the miner with his pickaxe and his lantern…

chiseling the salt rock with sweat on his brow,

the smell of sulfur, the gases of the mine…

and the same passion as an artist before his canvas.

There, amidst so much darkness and solidity, the crosses were born.

And sculptors arrived, bringing figures to join the work.

A blend of culture, Catholic faith, and memories of the Muisca ancestors…

that turned claustrophobia into awe,

and the mine… into wonder.

The Creation of Man, inspired by the work of Michelangelo, brings together two universes:

the Sistine Chapel and the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá.

Because yes, Colombians are imaginative.

We work with our bare hands, as the saying goes.

But what is here…

is pure symbolism.

It is true art.

It is a sacred labyrinth designed by miners who dreamed big.

And today, standing in this place, I once again hear what they used to tell me:

we are Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman.

But this…

this is a brand on another level.

This is Colombian identity carved in salt.

By Fredy Calderón

WE ARE CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC, ROMAN…