Many Gothic cathedrals, especially those from the Middle Ages, display mythical often ghoulish figures as drain spouts called gargoyles. The builders of the Basilica of the National Vow took a delightful twist to this architectural tradition. These decorative statues – called either grotesques or chimeras – feature animals endemic to Ecuador. Among the collection are iguanas, armadillos, alligators, blue-footed boobies, dolphins, pumas and Galápagos giant tortoises.