Santiago Apóstol Ruins

Cartago · Costa Rica · Ruin

In the unfinished church ruin at the heart of Cartago walks a headless priest, condemned to atone for his brother's murder.

Construction of the Santiago Apóstol church began in the sixteenth century, but earthquakes toppled it again and again — most recently in 1910 — and it was never completed, which folk belief blames on a curse. A priest is said to have stabbed his own brother to death inside the church after the brother married the woman the priest loved, and to have been beheaded for the crime. Ever since, "El Padre sin Cabeza", the headless priest, is said to roam among the stone walls in the small hours, appearing above all to those who misbehave. The legend is so alive that in 2013 the municipality placed a sculpture of him inside the ruins.

FAQ

Where is Santiago Apóstol Ruins located?

Santiago Apóstol Ruins is in Cartago, Costa Rica.