Museo Arquidiocesano Venezuela

Next to the cathedral, the Museo Arquidiocesano features a fine collection of religious art. Note the Ave María bell cast in AD 909, thought to be the world’s second-oldest surviving bell. It must have been brought from Spain by the missionaries and somehow ended up in the church of Jajó. By the early 20th century, though, it was unused and intended to be melted for reuse. Luckily, a priest from Valera sent it to Mérida for a closer inspection, thus saving it from destruction.