Basilica of the National Vow

In front of you rises the Basilica of the National Vow, the largest neo-Gothic church in the Americas, as Quiteños like to say. It looks like a French cathedral transplanted to the Andes, and that's no accident: the architect Emilio Tarlier took his inspiration from Notre-Dame in Paris. Catch your breath before going on; this climb, at 2,850 metres, makes itself felt.

1A whole country's vow

In 1874, under the government of Gabriel García Moreno, Ecuador was officially consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To commemorate it, the priest and congressman Julio Matovelle proposed a great church in 1883. The first stone was laid in 1892, and the work was paid for partly through a tax on salt and partly by donations from the faithful, who could have their names carved on the stone blocks. Masses began in the nave in 1924, but the church was not consecrated until 1988.

2The basilica that's never finished

Many niches still lack their statues and many circles on the façades their coats of arms. That is where the building's most famous belief comes from.

Popular tradition says that on the day the Basilica is finished, the world will end. Another, more patriotic version claims that it is Ecuador that will disappear.

It is, of course, just a belief, but many Quiteños bring it up with a smile whenever they spot scaffolding.

3Monsters that aren't

Instead of demons, the gargoyles depict Ecuador's wildlife: iguanas, tortoises, armadillos, monkeys and caimans. On the tallest tower, the watchmen are condors.

4What to look for

• The animal gargoyles on the corners and buttresses.
• The two towers of the façade, about 80 metres high.
• The empty niches, proof that the work is still unfinished.