Basílica de la Soledad

This baroque basilica houses the image of the Virgin of Solitude, patroness of Oaxaca, and is one of the most important churches in the city. Its ornately carved stone facade, resembling a folding screen, rises above a broad flight of steps and an enclosed forecourt. The venerated statue within is richly robed and crowned, and a small museum behind the church displays votive offerings and vestments accumulated over centuries. Vendors selling traditional ice cream and sweets gather on the plazas around it, giving the precinct a festive air.