San Pedro Claver Cathedral

Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1533, Cartagena was inhabited by the Karib, Malibu and Arawak. Spaniards came and took over. Cartagena’s location on the Caribbean made it an important trading post (many slaves were put to horrible fates here) and a great place for profit for the Spanish. Cartagena’s economy was boosted by the slave trade. Claver was a Spanish Jesuit priest who baptized and proselytized slaves that arrived from Africa. He considered himself the advocate for slaves and was canonized in the late 1800’s. The church dedicated to him is a Cathedral in the Italian style.Read more