Fifteen meters high, about 20 tons of marble the sculpture of the Virgen del Carmen returned to the Bay of Cartagena on June 6 to continue with a tradition of more than 30 years that had been interrupted after the collapse of the image in August 2015. The emblematic figure, whose pieces in Italian white marble fell to the bottom of the water in a heavy rain were recovered from the seabed in an operation coordinated with the National Navy. On the occasion of the feast of the Virgen del Carmen, on July 16, 1946, a beautiful procession took place in Cartagena. In the closing sermon he was in charge of Father Rafael García Herreros, from the balconies of the current City Hall, near the Plaza de la Inquisición, he launched the idea of ​​erecting a colossal image of Our Lady, the Virgin of the Sea, in the middle of the bay . A pro-monument Board was created and began meeting every week in the sacristy of the convent of Santo Domingo, where the Conciliar Seminary was operating. By means of Manuel Mainero, Italian consul in Cartagena, and representative of the shipping company “Italian Line”, the creation of a marble image was managed, with the signature U. Luisi Heredi, sculptors of Pietra Santa, population of Italy near Pizza . The inauguration took place on July 16, 1958. That day a crowd, led by Archbishop José Ignacio López, sang praises to the Virgin in an impressive procession that left from the Cathedral and reached the walls along the Arsenal Avenue.

See The Skyline of the Modern Neighborhood of Bocagrande

At the beginning of the XVII century it was decided to fortify the inner bay, and in a royal decree of 1608 the construction of a fort in the Punta del Judío, the Santa Cruz was ordered. Known familiarly as Castillogrande, it was constructed by Cristóbal de Roda and Francisco de Murga between 1626 and 1636, following the plan of Tiburcio Spanoqui. It was a fortress with a square base, having bulwarks in each of the four corners, a central yard of arms and a moat. When the Bocagrande entrance was closed in 1640, the defensive strategy of the bay changed, centering on the Bocachica entrance. This fact affected the existing fortresses of the bay, ordering their dismantling in 1647 to reuse the materials in the construction of San Luis de Bocachica. Notwithstanding, Castillogrande would survive until the French attack led by the Baron De Pointis in 1697, when it was severely ruined. Juan de Herrera y Sotomayor considered it key for the defense of the port, therefore, in 1728 he directed its reconstruction which would not be completed in 1741 when Vernon attacked the city. The fortress was partially destroyed and would not be rebuilt, its remains being used from then on as ammunition for the artillery. This use continued until 1938, when an explosion in a munitions deposit maintained there by the Navy destroyed its vaults, leaving only a portion of the rampart next to the port and other vestiges. It is currently integrated into the installations of the Officers’ Club of the National Navy.

See the Skyline of the Wealthy Lagito and Castillo Grande Neighborhoods as we make our way out to the Sunset.