Bell Tower - Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo - Lima, Peru
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S 12° 02.660 W 077° 01.916
18L E 278799 N 8667725
The Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo are located at the intersection of the first block of the Jirón Camaná (Calle Pescante) with the second block of Jirón Conde de Superunda (Calle Veracruz), in the historic center of Lima, Peru.
Waymark Code: WM11MTV
Location: Peru
Date Posted: 11/15/2019
Views: 4
The Basilica and Convent of Santo Domingo are an architectural set of religious buildings under the invocation to Our Lady of the Rosary. The construction of the Convent of Santo Domingo took about 50 years and concluded at the end of 16th century.
The historic chapter house of the Basilica of Santo Domingo was the place where the University of San Marcos, officially the first Peruvian university and the oldest university in the Americas, began to function in the 16th century. The first building was completely destroyed by the earthquake of 1678 and has been rebuilt numerous times as results of further earthquakes (for example, 1687 and 1746 to name a few).
The basilica is most renowned as the final resting place for three important Peruvian saints: San Juan Macías, Santa Rosa de Lima and San Martín de Porres (the continent’s first black saint). The convent, a sprawling courtyard-studded complex lined with baroque paintings and clad in vintage Spanish tiles, contains the saints’ tombs. The church, however, has the most interesting relics: the skulls of San Martín and Santa Rosa, encased in glass, in a shrine to the right of the main altar (See our 7 photos).
The exterior of the church was originally covered by bossage, as can be seen still at the base of the bell tower. A primitive portal, two bodies and three streets, was carved in the second half of the 17th century. In later years a new portal would rise because of the earthquakes that destroyed the church.
The present aspect of the church is due to a large extent to the reconstruction works after the Earthquake of Lima and Callao of 1940, that supposed the application of cement in the walls and the restoration of the portal and the facade of the church.
The first bell tower of the church, of baroque style and three bodies, was designed together with the church by Diego Maroto in the second half of the 17th century and was destroyed during the earthquake of 28 of October 1746.
The present bell tower was conceived and designed by the Viceroy Manuel d'Amat i de Junyent in 1766 in the Rococo style, being in the bottom of octagonal form. It is divided into a lower body and two tall bodies with small balconies on corbels. At the top is the sculpture of a figure holding a trumpet, representing the angel who announces the Final Judgment. The total height is 46 meters, and is considered one of the most characteristic elements of the religious complex.
You can climb the bell tower for good views over Lima Historic Center.
Source: Wikipedia (
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