The church was built in 1535 under the supervision of Friar Miguel de Orenes and completed in 1765. The Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, the patroness of the Peruvian Armed Forces, is venerated in the Basilica.
The convent and the church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced are as old as the city of Lima. According to historical documents, the lands where the convent and the church were built belonged to the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy. On April 13, 1534, Captain Francisco de Becerra donated 6,000 pesos to the Natividad de Nuestra Señora convent, later renamed Madre de Dios convent of la Madre de Dios de la Merced.
Captain Francisco de Becerra and his wife are buried in the crypt of the church. The Mercedarians are a religious order that came to Peru to educate the conquered indigenous peoples. The first church was made of wood; the current structure is built of adobe and brick. The Baroque portal was carved in 1591 by Cristóbal Gómez.
In 1589, three years after an earthquake struck the growing city, Alonso de Morales added a square tower to the church, considered the first high-rise structure of the colonial capital of Lima. Three years later, the architect Cristóbal Gómez rebuilt the cloister.
In 1608, the central nave was remodeled and extended along with two collateral naves. The new design resulted in the creation of a basilica with three open naves with a wide crosier. The process involved replacing the walls of the chapel with half-domes and lanterns at the top, creating arches.
This modification of the original Isabelline style church, from a single nave with side chapels to a three-aisled nave and large cross structure, has considerably transformed the interior of the church. The style has been replicated by other churches in Lima and has spread as an architectural concept throughout South America.
The earthquake of 1609 delayed the renovation of the church. Work resumed on January 5, 1613, when Alonso de Arenas and Andrés de Espinoza coordinated the construction of the main chapel, two side chapels and the transept. In 1687, another earthquake destroyed parts of the church and the Mercedarian convent. Francisco Javier Domínguez was in charge of the reconstruction. In 1696, the current stone portal was built.
The earthquakes of 1687 and 1746 destroyed a significant part of the church and convent.
The reconstruction of the church and convent, after the earthquake of 1746, lasted most of the second half of the 18th century. This rebuilding was also affected by a devastating fire in the sacristy and other parts of the church on April 24, 1775.
The facade of the church is a finite sample of the Churrigueresque (Baroque) style of Liman with the statue of the Virgin of Mercy in a central niche, surrounded by other statues.
The imposing statue of Our Lady of Mercy, displayed on the main altar, is one of the oldest and most beautiful statues of the Mother of God venerated in Lima. It dates from the beginning of the 17th century.
In the basilica and the convent, some niches contain statues representing the lord of Huanca, the lord of Cachuy and regional invocations of Jesus crucified.
Source: Wikipedia (
visit link)