Basilica and Convent of San Francisco - Lima, Peru
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denben
S 12° 02.727 W 077° 01.647
18L E 279288 N 8667605
The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco is located on Jirón Lampa, one block northeast from the Plaza Mayor, Lima.
Waymark Code: WM11KKT
Location: Peru
Date Posted: 11/07/2019
Views: 4
The church and convent are part of the Historic Centre of Lima, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1991. Aside from a church and monastery it also contains a library and catacombs. In this church, Jude the Apostle is venerated. At the feast of Saint Jude Tadeus a one and a half ton weighing silver stand is carried round in procession by 40 people, starting from the convent.
The church and monastery were blessed in 1673 and completed in 1674. Though it survived several earthquakes intact in 1687 and 1746, it suffered extensive damage in an earthquake in 1970. The church is noted for its architecture, a high example of Spanish Baroque. Its granite carved portal would later influence those on other churches, including the Church of Merced. The vaults of the central and two side naves are painted in mudejar style: a mix of Moorish and Spanish designs. The main altar is totally made from wood. The halls of the head cloister are inlaid with Sevillian glazed tiles dating from the 1620s. The complex is made of the temple, the convent and two other churches, 'La Soledad' and 'El Milagro'.
The convent's library is world-renowned. It possesses about 25,000 antique texts, some of them predating the conquest. Some notable books are the first Spanish dictionary published by the Royal Spanish Academy and a Holy Bible edition from 1571- 1572 printed in Antwerp.
Other notable possessions are 13 paintings of the biblical patriarch Jacob and his 12 sons in the refectory, by the hand of the studio of the Spanish master Francisco de Zurbarán. The last supper painted by Diego de la Puente depicts typical Peruvian ingredients and meals, instead of European dishes it depicts, such as guinea pig, potatoes and chilis. Also peculiar is the Devil hovering besides Judas. The monastery also possesses several paintings attributed to the school of Peter Paul Rubens.
It is estimated that 25,000 bodies were laid to rest in the catacombs; the crypts, built of bricks and mortar, are very solid and have stood up well to earthquakes. The catacombs served as a burial-place until 1808, when the city cemetery was opened outside Lima and contain thousands of skulls and bones. The catacombs were rediscovered in 1943. It is also believed there existed secret passageways that connected to the Cathedral and the Tribunal of the Holy Inquisition.
Opening Hours: Daily from 9:30 to 17:45
Guided tour including the catacombs: $5 US
Photography is not allowed inside.
Source: Wikipedia (
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