Grecia

The church of Our Lady of Mercies at Grecia was built between 1894 and 1897 from prefabricated steel plates cast in Belgium, shipped to Limon and hauled up to the Central Valley by rail and ox cart, then bolted together on site and painted dark red, with a timber-lined interior. Metal was chosen because it would stand earthquakes and because the local timber supply was poor, and the result is a Gothic-revival church in painted steel that looks like a normal building until you touch it. It stands on the central park with the surrounding town, and it is the reason almost anyone stops in Grecia. Coffee and sugar country surrounds the town.

History

Before the Spanish the area belonged to the western Huetar kingdom, in the time of King Garabito. Settlers asked as early as October 1828 to found a town here, drawn by the fertile, unclaimed land and by government incentives to open routes to the north, and as more of them came to the north-west of the Central Valley they sought official permission; it was granted only ten years later, when Law No. 69 of 27 April 1838 allowed them to settle beyond the other side of the Poás and found Grecia (Wikipedia, Grecia, Costa Rica).

What you'll find

• The metal church - the prefabricated steel building painted dark red.
• The timber interior - the lined inside beneath the metal shell.
• The central park - the square the church faces.
• The coffee country - the plantations around the town.

When to go

December to April in the dry season; the Central Valley climate is mild year round. The church is open around service times. Weekday mornings are quietest.

Before you go

The church is the only reason to stop and the visit takes under an hour. Interior access follows service hours. The town itself is ordinary. Parking near the park is difficult.

Nearby

Sarchi and its ox carts lie northwest; Alajuela is southeast.

Key facts