A few days ago, I published the first installment of an informative and photographic project about one of the most attractive towns (although it's a city, I use the term affectionately) in the state of Sucre, Venezuela: Río Caribe. You can visit that first part through the following link. In this second part, I will focus on showcasing other striking aspects of the town.

Río Caribe (I forgot to mention in the first part that it was called the city of "the cacao lords", since, as we said, cacao was the main crop of this municipality from the beginning) was founded under the patronage of Saint Michael the Archangel, the town's patron saint. It has been a tradition to celebrate the San Miguel Fair every year from September 26th to 29th, the most important event on the calendar for its inhabitants.

As I mentioned, the central nucleus of the settlement when it was founded in 1647 was located where the Church of San Miguel Arcángel, the main church of Río Caribe, was built between 1713 and 1717, situated in its historic center. Historians recognize the colonial value of its architecture, considering it a monument of cultural and historical heritage. It was restored in 1919, a project that incorporated clay and stone blocks and added a second tower next to the main entrance. For a time, the remains of the esteemed scientist Juan Manuel Cajigal rested in this church; it has also been said that the remains of Dr. Alonso Ruiz Moreno, who performed the first cesarean section in Venezuela in 1820 in Cumaná, are buried there.

During the church's restoration, some altarpieces were refurbished, and more recently, others of striking visual beauty, with an undeniable tropical touch, were added. These were created by the local artist (born in Río Caribe) José Gregorio Velásquez (“Goyo”) Valencia, a renowned master of sacred art, who incorporates the use of oils and traditional woodworking techniques.

In front of the church is Plaza Bolívar. It's worth noting that a common practice among the Spanish colonizers was to first establish a main square and then build the church around it. This structure, as in other cities in Venezuela and Latin America, was followed in Río Caribe. Plaza Bolívar is a very pleasant, spacious area with many trees, as it should be. From here, one can access the main streets, laid out in the grid pattern characteristic of colonial architecture, and enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.

Two very important places in Río Caribe are the Chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Christ the King Monument, which I've visited before, but this time I couldn't return due to time constraints.

The other place that interested me, based on several recommendations, was the cemetery. I'm not one to be put off by places like this (at least not during the day). I've taken photos of other local cemeteries, like the traditional one in Cumaná. The Río Caribe cemetery has a particular appeal, both because of the old mausoleums it preserves, many belonging to historic families from the Paria region (the Franceschi, Velutini, among others), as can be seen on some of the tombstones, belonging to lineages of Corsican origin who arrived in this area as migrants in the 19th century and played a major role in building the economic and cultural life of the region. Certain sculptures also caught my eye. I'm sharing several photos of this combination.

(To be continued)