Santuario de San Pedro Claver

In Cartagena’s historic center, the Santuario de San Pedro Claver brings together a church, convent and museum dedicated to the Jesuit priest who cared for enslaved Africans. The church was built by the Jesuits between 1580 and 1654, and Claver’s remains lie beneath its altar. Inside, look for religious paintings and colonial-era art; the convent’s courtyard offers a quieter pause among tropical plants. Allow about an hour to visit the church, museum and rooms where Claver lived and worked.

A church shaped by changing names

The Jesuits began building the church in 1580, and construction was completed in 1654. It was first known as San Juan de Dios, then dedicated to San Ignacio de Loyola in 1622. The complex was later renamed for Pedro Claver, the Spanish-born Jesuit who lived and died there.

Claver devoted his work to caring for enslaved Africans brought to Cartagena. He is also known as the Apostle of the Blacks and the Slave of the Slaves. The Catholic Church canonized him in 1888, and he became the first person canonized in the Americas. His work and the history of slavery are central to understanding the site.

Inside the church and convent

Claver’s remains are kept beneath the church’s altar, in an illuminated case. The church has a stone façade and three domes; its present dome was built in 1921 by Gastón Lelarge. Architectural changes over the centuries have shaped the building visitors see today.

The adjoining convent includes a courtyard with tropical plants and a baptismal font. A museum in the complex presents religious art and objects connected with Claver’s life, alongside historical context about slavery. The rooms where he lived and worked are also part of the visit. Together, these spaces give a closer view of both the religious complex and the life commemorated there.