Also known as Our Lady of El Cobre, Nuestra Senora de la Caridad del Cobre or "la Virgen de la Caridad". It was built in 1926 in the village of El Cobre and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
"As the church stood out on a small hill in the centre of the valley I had no trouble finding it, but found myself having to run the gauntlet of groups of youths trying to sell souvenirs. Although I managed to cycle away from them, when I reached the convent I found my tool kit had been taken from the bag on the back of my bike.
This painting was made from the long approach road, away from the attention of the souvenir selling yobs. This area has been one of the oldest settlements of in Cuba, established by the Spanish in the 1550's to mine the copper found in the surrounding Sierra Maestra mountains. Visions of the Virgen de la Caridad, Cuba's national saint, were claimed to have been seen here from the 1660's. I found the church's interior all a bit drab. " - MH
