Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, Manzanares, Colombia

The Minor Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua ( Italian : Basilica Minore di Sant’Antonio di Padova ) is a Catholic church located on the east side of Bolívar Square in the municipality of Manzanares , Caldas, Colombia.  It is the most important religious sanctuary in the eastern province of the Department of Caldas, where the municipalities of Pensilvania , Marquetalia , Manzanares , Samaná , and Victoria converge , and is part of the parish vicariate of the Diocese of La Dorada-Guaduas. Its dome reaches a height of 42 meters, and it is 59 meters long and 32.50 meters wide.  Romanesque and Neoclassical styles predominate in its architecture. History of the Descent of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá. The “Descent of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá” is a tradition originating in Andalusia, Spain, and has been celebrated in Maracaibo since the early 18th century.  This event began to gain importance after the coronation of the Virgin of Chiquinquirá in 1942.  However, from 1942 to 1970, the celebration was not held regularly.  It was during Monsignor Roberto Luckert ‘s tenure as parish priest of the Basilica, between 1972-1978 and 1980-1985, that he revived the celebration with the aim of bringing the faithful together again, especially those who had lived in El Saladillo and had to migrate to other parts of the city as a result of the demolition of buildings.  In this way, the tradition was recovered, and the last Saturday of October was established as the date for its celebration.  Previously, the procession was referred to as the “Descent” rather than the “Transfer.”  After Mass, the niche was opened, and the altarpiece was passed along a line of attendants until it was placed on a platform for the people to venerate.  The procession did not begin until the last parishioner had paid homage to the patron saint.  Over the years, the idea of bringing the image of the Virgin closer to her people went through very rudimentary methods.  A manual wooden slide was used for the descent; it was nothing more than a pulley with a plank and a rope.  Lowering the image took about two hours, and there were always shouts of “Let go!  Bring her down!” from those involved in the process.  Then, in 2002, under the leadership of Father Eleuterio Cuevas, a new slide with an electronic system was installed, allowing the image to be lowered in 30 minutes.  In addition to adding a light show that made it more visually appealing and allowed for televising the event to reach a wider audience, since 2009, due to the large number of faithful who gathered at the Basilica and in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of its renovation, this celebration has been held in the Basilica Plaza.  The slide was extended to 60 meters, and it is there that the Virgin descends to the rhythm of Zulian gaita music every last Saturday of October.  November December