The Catedral Primada de Colombia dominates the east side of Plaza Bolivar with its broad neoclassical facade and twin towers. It is the largest cathedral in Colombia and the seat of the Archbishop of Bogota. Construction of the current building began in 1807 and was completed in 1823, replacing a series of earlier churches destroyed by earthquakes and neglect.
The interior is grand and relatively austere by Latin American standards — high barrel-vaulted nave, plain whitewashed walls, and a series of side chapels decorated with colonial paintings and sculpture. The tomb of Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, the Spanish conquistador who founded Bogota in 1538, is beneath the main altar. Free entry; modest dress required.