From Wikipedia: «La primera iglesia y convento de La Merced fue incendiada en el desastre del pirata Bartolomé Sharp en 1680, sin embargo se reedificó pronto debido a que la orden contaba con productivas rentas y propiedades. En 1755 se le describe de la siguiente manera: "Se encuentra su iglesia terminada, muy decente y con profusión de adornos, y su claustro con una parte concluida y otra con murallas".
En él residían seis religiosos y sus rentas anuales alcanzaban a mil quinientos pesos de la época. La propiedad del claustro se extendía prácticamente a toda la manzana.
Arquitectura
Su estructura o nave principal data de 1709, según consta en una piedra esculpida en su frontis en la parte cubierta por la torre. La torre fue construida en 1830 gracias al arcediano Joaquín Vera. Hacia mediados del siglo XIX su cielo estaba decorado con una artesonado exquisitamente trabajado, cubierto de perillas torneadas que descendían del centro en simétricos dibujos formados por doradas molduras. Este trabajo a pesar de que se encontraba en buen estado se destruyó para reemplazarlo por tablas lisas a fines del siglo XIX.
Su antigua campana fue fundida en 1851 durante el Sitio de La Serena para fabricar balas.
El 20 de julio de 1846 fue declarado Sagrario» (
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Google translation
The first church and the first convent of La Merced were set on fire during the pirate Bartholomew Sharp's raid in 1680, but they were rebuilt quickly because the order had rents and productive properties. In 1755, it is described as follows: "The church is completed, very suitable and adorned with a profusion of ornaments, and the cloister with one part completed and another with walls".
Six monks lived there and their annual income was 1,500 pesos at the time. The cloister property extended almost to the entire block.
Architecture
Its structure or main nave dates from 1709, it consists of carved stone on the front in the part covered by the tower. The tower was built in 1830 thanks to Archdeacon Joaquín Vera. In the mid-nineteenth century, its sky was adorned with a well-finished coffered ceiling, covered with turned buttons that descended from the center in symmetrical designs formed of gilded moldings. This work, although in good condition, was destroyed and replaced by smooth planks at the end of the 19th century.
The old bell was melted down in 1851, during the siege of La Serena, to make bullets.
On July 20, 1846, it was declared Sanctuary (Sagrario).
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