The emblematic Ermita church is one of the main sacred sites and one of the main most visited attractions in Santiago de Cali, both by faithful devotees and by thousands of tourists from around the world who find it in an extraordinary location on the banks of the Cali River.
Although it was dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, inside it has an altar with the effigy of Señor de la Caña, the only piece surviving from the 1787 earthquake, which is why it is highly visited by devotees who consider it miraculous.
Destroyed in 1787 by a strong earthquake that struck the capital of the Valley, in 1942 it was restored in a Gothic style similar to that of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.
The Hermitage today:
After 10 years without working, the citizens of Cali will once again enjoy their bells and will be able to locate the time on their clocks because they both worked again.
“It is a pleasure to once again put the sound of the emblematic chapel of La Ermita at the service of the Cali community. This is a point of reference for locals and tourists, for this reason it is very important to us that both the bells and the clocks have returned to work,” said Wiston Mosquera, parish priest of La Ermita.
Father Wiston also called on the citizens of Cali to join the ‘Hermitathon’, a strategy that seeks to raise funds to continue with the maintenance and recovery work at La Ermita.
The solidarity of the people of Cali and the donation of a day’s salary that a few months ago members of the executive level of the district cabinet donated in favor of La Ermita were transcendental efforts to achieve this reactivation.
“We want to share that the bells have rung again and the clocks are running. This is a victory for the entire city because we carry this emblematic site in our hearts,” said Brayan Hurtado, Cali’s Secretary of Culture.
– There are six bells of the Hermitage. Every 15 minutes and every hour on the dot they will resound in downtown Cali, welcoming locals and visitors who pass through Bulevar del Río.
– Four clocks with a motor from the Verdini house are part of the church, which will allow people from Cali to view the time from the various cardinal points of the building.
Photo: Cali Mayor’s Office
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