Church and Cloister of San Pedro Claver

In front of you is the church that holds the remains of Peter Claver, the man who called himself «slave of the Black people». To understand him, remember what Cartagena was in the 17th century: one of the largest ports of entry for enslaved people in all of Spanish America.

1The slave-trade port

Ships arrived from the coasts of West and Central Africa after weeks at sea. In their holds, hundreds of men, women and children travelled in chains, sick and terrified. Many died before arriving. The survivors were sold in the city or sent on to mines, plantations and other colonies. It was a system of violence on a vast scale that left a permanent mark on the people of the Caribbean.

2Claver in the holds

Peter Claver was born in Verdú, Catalonia, in 1580 and reached Cartagena in 1610. Following the Jesuit Alonso de Sandoval, whenever a slave ship was announced he went down to it with interpreters, water, fruit and medicine. He treated sores, baptised people and stayed with the dying. In 1622, on taking his final vows, he added to his signature: «slave of the Black people forever».

He could not end slavery, but he refused to look the other way.

He died here in 1654 and was canonised in 1888. Today he is the patron saint of human rights in Colombia.

3What to look for

• The coral-stone façade: look for the tiny marine fossils in the blocks.
• The sculptures in the square, showing traditional trades.
• The city wall behind, which once separated the city from the port.