Mexico City, Mexico
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The most visited Catholic shrine on earth, built around a cloak that has hung on display since 1531.
Biblical significance
Juan Diego, an indigenous convert, reported apparitions on Tepeyac hill in December 1531; the image is said to have appeared on his tilma of cactus fibre when he opened it to release the roses. Twenty million visit each year, peaking around 12 December. A moving walkway runs beneath the tilma to keep the queue flowing. The image became the central symbol of Mexican Catholic identity and of the independence movement.
Scripture
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Best time to go
12 December for the feast, if you can handle the millions.
Visitor notes
Free. The old basilica beside the new one is visibly sinking into the lakebed.
Coordinates
19.4847, -99.1177
On the map
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