Botero-Museum, Kolumbianische Kunst & Bogotás Kulturszene
The Museo Botero (the free public museum in La Candelaria housing the donation of 123 works by Fernando Botero (b.1932) — Colombia's most internationally recognized artist — plus his personal collection of European masters) and the broader Colombian art scene (the painters, sculptors, and photographers who have made Colombia one of the most vibrant art markets in Latin America) are at the heart of Bogotá's cultural identity.
- 1
Museo Botero — 208 Works Donated to Colombia
The Museo Botero in La Candelaria holds 123 Botero works and 85 international pieces (Picasso, Monet, Dalí, Renoir) donated by Fernando Botero to the Colombian people in 2000 — the finest art collection accessible to Latin Americans free of charge.
- 2
Fernando Botero's Boterismo — The Voluminous Vision
Botero (born Medellín, 1932) developed 'Boterismo' — figures of exaggerated rotundity applied to portraits, religious scenes, bullfights, and Colombian daily life. His bronze 'Mona Lisa' (12 times wider than Leonardo's) is on permanent display.
- 3
Museo del Oro — 34,000 Pre-Columbian Gold Objects
The Gold Museum holds 34,000 gold and tumbaga objects — the Muisca gold raft ('Balsa Muisca') depicting the El Dorado ceremony is the museum's centerpiece and one of the most significant pre-Columbian objects in existence.
- 4
Plaza de Bolívar — The Heart of Colombian Democracy
The Plaza de Bolívar in La Candelaria is Colombia's central ceremonial space — surrounded by the National Capitol, the Palace of Justice (rebuilt after the M-19 siege of 1985), the Primada Cathedral, and the Liévano Mayor's Palace.
- 5
Casa de Nariño — Presidential Palace
The Casa de Nariño, built on the site where independence leader Antonio Nariño was born, is Colombia's presidential palace — the changing of the guard (Friday, 5pm) is a public ceremony; guided tours are available on Sundays.
- 6
La Candelaria — Living Colonial Neighborhood
La Candelaria's 17th-18th century white-and-mustard colonial houses, student murals, and crumbling monasteries create the most historically layered neighborhood in Bogotá — Botero's museum, the Gold Museum, and the National Library all within walking distance.