Church of Santo Domingo

In front of you is the Church of Santo Domingo, built by Dominican friars in the late 16th century and considered one of the oldest surviving churches in the city. Its architecture is plain, almost like a fortress. But take a good look at the bell tower: something is not quite right.

1The devil and the tower

The tower is not perfectly aligned with the rest of the church. The most likely explanation is a construction problem. Cartagena tradition, however, tells another story: one night the devil, furious with the friars, tried to knock the tower down by turning himself into a whirlwind. He only managed to twist it, and fell into the well in the square, which the neighbours quickly sealed so that he could not get out.

They say that on hot nights the square still smells of sulphur.

2Where is Blas de Lezo?

Another mystery surrounds this church. Blas de Lezo, the city's defender in 1741, died in Cartagena in September of that year, probably of illness. Nobody knows where he is buried. A letter written by his son decades later mentions the Dominican convent; other historians point to San Francisco or to the Veracruz chapel. The grave has still not been found.

Inside, the faithful venerate the Cristo de la Expiración, to which popular devotion attributes miracles.

3What to look for

• The bell tower, seen from the side.
• The stone doorway, with its columns.
• The buttresses on the walls, which support the nave.