Manizales Architecture: Cathedral, Cable Car & Caldas Modernity
Manizales has been rebuilt multiple times after fires and earthquakes — the resulting architecture is a mix of Gothic revival grandeur (the cathedral), historic cable car infrastructure, and the modern university buildings of a progressive Andean city
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Basílica Catedral de Manizales
Manizales Cathedral – an impressive Gothic Revival structure built between 1939 and 1959 – dominates the central square; the twin towers (100 m high) are visible from all over the city and the interior features excellent stained glass and the cathedral's distinctive vaults
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Cyprus Neighborhood Viewpoint
The neighborhood of Chipre - on a hill above Manizales - has a monument and a mirador with a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding valleys; the view at sunset, with Nevado del Ruiz glowing and the city lights coming on, is Manizales at its most beautiful
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Reconstruction after the earthquake
Manizales has been rebuilt after several earthquakes and fires - the 1925 fire, the 1962 and 1979 earthquakes - each rebuilding episode has added new architectural layers; the resulting cityscape is eclectic and resilient
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Teatro Los Fundadores
Teatro Los Fundadores – Manizale's premier cultural venue – is a brutalist structure from the 1960s that has been preserved as a landmark; the theater hosts the international theater festival (Festival Internacional de Teatro) which is one of Latin America's most important
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Colonial Coffee Architecture
The historic coffee trade buildings in Manizales – the warehouses, the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros regional headquarters and the coffee exchange offices – reflect the city's 19th and 20th century commercial importance as a coffee center
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Contemporary University Architecture
The eight universities in Manizales have produced some of Colombia's most interesting contemporary campus architecture - the Universidad Nacional campus, designed in a modernist style integrated into the hillside, is particularly noteworthy