The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Anne, on the east side of Plaza Bolívar, has been the seat of the Caracas archdiocese since 1637. The current building is a patchwork — the original 1665 façade survived the 1812 earthquake that destroyed much of the city, but the interior was largely rebuilt afterwards. The proportions stay deliberately modest by Spanish colonial standards: a long nave, side chapels, and a wooden ceiling rather than the gold-leaf extravagance of Mexican or Peruvian cathedrals.
The Bolívar family chapel is the main pilgrimage point — Simón Bolívar's parents, his wife, and several siblings are buried here, and Bolívar himself worshipped here as a child. Paintings attributed to the Caracas-born colonial master Juan Pedro López hang in the sacristy. Entry is free; mornings only.