1424 NICARAGUA (León) - Church of La Recolección in León

Located along the Río Chiquito, at about 90km northwest of Managua, and at 18km east of the Pacific Ocean coast, León was founded by the Spaniards as León Santiago de los Caballeros, and has long been the political and intellectual center of the nation. It is rich in monuments and historical places and among these is Church of la Recolección, located at the so called Bank Street (Calle de los Bancos); a busy street housing several banks. Covered in a dark and well-worn yellow, its Mexican baroque façade is considered one of the most important in the city. Built in 1786, by Bishop Juan Félix de Villegas thanks to contributions made by parishioners, it has three naves, and the altars are in neoclassical style. Almost a century later, in 1880, another building was constructed next to the church: the Recolección school.

0094 NICARAGUA (Rio San Juan) - Fortress of the Immaculate Conception (UNESCO WHS - Tentative List)

Colonized by the Spaniards in the 16th century, Nicaragua was subject to frequent raids by Dutch, French and British pirates, the city of Granada being invaded twice, in 1658 and 1660. Just to protect locals in neighboring Granada from pirate attacks was constructed along the San Juan River (that flows east out of Lake Nicaragua into the Caribbean Sea) a series of fortifications. The Fortress of the Immaculate Conception, located in the village of El Castillo and completed in 1675, was the most important of them.