Parque del Monticulo (Monticulo Park), La Paz

Monticulo Park (Parque del Montículo), situated in the Sopocachi neighborhood of La Paz, stands as a historical and cultural beacon at an elevation of 3,635 meters above sea level. Designed in the 1940s by architect Mario del Carpio, this park is officially named after Néstor Portocarrero, the composer of the emblematic La Paz song "Illimani Tango."

The park has served as a muse for numerous artists, including plastic artist Cecilio Guzmán de Rojas and writer Julio de la Vega. Its entrance is marked by a stone gate carved in 1776, originally part of the San Jerónimo Seminary. This gate, relocated from its original site at the corner of Ingavi and Genaro Sanjinés streets, is maintained and conserved regularly.

Within the park, visitors find a chapel and one of the city's oldest operational clocks, housed on a metal structure atop a wooden shed. The central feature is a circular square with a Neptune-themed fountain, originally from Paseo de El Prado and crafted in 1928 from Carrara marble. The fountain, restored in 2014, includes Neptune, his hand, and trident, flanked by tritons.

Monticulo Park, with its captivating beauty, also has a rich historical background. In 1582, a devastating earthquake hit the area, causing the disappearance of a Virgin Mary image. This sacred image was eventually discovered in the mound. To commemorate this discovery, President Agustín Morales had a Gothic arcade built for the chapel, although it was tragically destroyed by fire in 1895. However, in 1896, the chapel was reopened thanks to funds raised by Martín Chuqui, a local leader, and priests, coinciding with the Feast of the Immaculate.