Iglesia de San Francisco, Caracas

The Church of San Francisco is among the oldest churches in Caracas, its origins reaching back to the sixteenth century in what is now the historic centre. It is remembered as the setting where Simón Bolívar was proclaimed Liberator in 1813 by the city's assembly. The interior preserves colonial altarpieces and religious imagery beneath its restored vaults. Standing near the seat of government and the old university buildings, the church combines deep colonial roots with a direct link to key episodes of the independence struggle.