Cuba Guide
Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey
La Iglesia de la Soledad
Address: The instersection of Maceo and República
Opening time: Daily 8am– noon
The La Iglesia de la Soledad, the church where Ignacio Agramonte was baptized and married, is tiered like a wedding cake and with a lofty tower that can be seen from all over the city. There has been a church on this site since 1697, the original built from wood and guano, the present structure dating from 1758; although the exterior is in disrepair, the interior, its domed roof painted with Baroque frescoes, merits a look. Like others in the town, the church has its very own creation myth. Apparently one rainy morning an animal carrier became stuck in the mud in the road in front of the site now occupied by the church. Everyone gathered around to push the wagon free and in the process a box bounced off the back and smashed open to reveal a statue of the Virgin. As the cart-driver could lay no claim to it, it was taken as a sign that the Virgin wanted a chapel built on this spot.