India May
Have The Taj Mahal, But Costa Rica Has The
Mariana Chapel
By Lynn Farris,
Examiner.com
The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal Emperor
Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife,
Mumtaz Mahal who died in childbirth giving
birth to the Emperor’s 14th child. It is a
monument to love. It illustrates some of the
finest art work of India.
The Mariana Chapel, in keeping with the
Costa Rican sensibilities, is certainly much
more modest, but it too is a monument to
love. It was built by former President of
Costa Rica, Rodrigo Carazo, for his wife,
First Lady Estrella Carazo, for their 50
wedding anniversary, in 1997. According to
Villa Blanca’s website, “The entire ceiling
of the Capilla Mariana, or Mariana Chapel,
was inspired by the original chapel of La
Sixtina de La Maiolica Chapel, built in the
17th Century in Italy”. The ceiling
represents the story of the Virgin Mary as
interpreted by the local cultures when
introduced by Christian missionaries.
The building of the Mariana Chapel was truly
a family affair. Marieloz Zeldon, Estrella’s
sister, created the tile ceiling which is
composed of 840 ceramic plates. All of the
plates are hand drawn and painted.
The 13 Virgins that are represented in the
Mariana Chapel include:
• Our Lady of the Rescue of Ujarrás Costa
Rica
• Our Lady of Los Angeles Costa Rica
• The Virgin of Guadalupe Mexico
• Our Lady of Suyapa Honduras
• La Concha, Immaculate Conception Nicaragua
• Our Lady of the Caridad del Cobre Cuba
• Our Lady of Providence Puerto Rico
• Our Lady of Altagracia Dominican Republic
• Our Lady do Aparecida Brazil
• Our Lady of Chinquinquirá Colombia
• Our Lady of Coromoto Venezuela
• Our Lady of Luján Argentina
• Our Lady of Peace Costa Rica
The ceiling is divided into sections.
Thirteen of the sections deal with one of
the above Latin American virgins and her
country of origin. The remaining two
sections deal with San Ramón’s religious
festivities, the city in which the chapel is
located. The Patron Saint, San Ramón is
honored here on August 30th each year.
Estrella’s grandfather, Jose Maria Zeledon,
is the author of the Costa Rica National
Anthem. The lyrics are painted on a ceramic
fresco located on the North side of the
chapel altar.
Today, the Mariana Chapel is part of the
Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel and Nature
Reserve. It is located in the cloud forest
and is easily accessible from San Jose,
Costa Rica’s capital. This is a beautiful
resort and is dedicated to eco tourism.
You can schedule your wedding in the Mariana
Chapel. Contact Rebecca at Villa Blanca
Cloud Forest Hotel and Nature Reserve.
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