Deep in the mountains of southwestern Colombia, this church sits at the end of a bridge that stretches over a dramatic gorge cloaked in lush trees and the occasional veil of a waterfall over the rushing muddy waters of the Guaitara River. Its name, Las Lajas, refers to the flat rocks found in the surrounding Andes, with which the church was built, and the stones seem to glow against the backdrop of the steamy mountains. Its precarious placement is no accidentâ€"it was built here as a tribute to Mother Mary.
In 1754, a woman and her deaf-mute daughter were walking in the area when they got caught in a storm and took shelter in a nearby cave. Sometime that night, the Virgin Mary allegedly revealed herself to the daughter â€" and she began to speak for the very first time. Soon after, a chapel was erected here to honor her. The Gothic Revivalâ€"style Lajas Sanctuary was later built, between 1916 and 1949, to replace the 19th-century chapel. The pilgrims who continue to arrive to this day from Colombia, Ecuador, and beyond often leave behind personal plaques, which you'll see lining the cliff walls, to thank the Virgin for miracles.
