Since colonial times, the city of Arequipa stood out for its many churches, temples, monasteries and convents. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the incidence of seismic phenomena made architects desist from the simple translation of European designs and forced them to gradually incorporate the use of ashlar and give prominence to walls with thick slopes, reinforced with buttresses, in order to better absorb the seismic impact.
In the case of portals, arches and other ornamental elements, the easy carving of the ashlar allowed a greater profusion of details to be risked. The result was the construction of safer and at the same time imposing buildings, with architectural characteristics and artistic features typical of the place, which today is the pride of the people of Arequipa.
The Cathedral of Arequipa
Its current design dates from the 17th century. It is a complex stone architectural complex with brick Gothic vaults, partially combined with ashlar. Its façade occupies the entire north side of the Plaza de Armas. It is distinguished by its two tall and sharp towers and by the ashlar arches in the lateral corners of the atrium. It is of neo-Renaissance style, the building being highly admired for its perfect interior luminosity.
Its construction with three naves was projected by the Lima architect Don Andrés de Espinoza. Work began in 1621 and was completed in 1656. It was inaugurated by Monsignor Gaspar de Villarruel. Contrasting with the relative austerity of the exterior design is the rich internal ornamentation, where the wood carving of the choir stalls, the main altar, the pulpit —which rests on the image of the defeated Satan— and the sacristy stand out.
The frequent seismic phenomena in the region have forced successive restorations, especially of the tops of the towers. It also suffered the ravages of a devastating fire in 1844. It was restored in 1868 by Lucas Poblete. The most recent rehabilitation of the towers dates back to 2002.
La Compañia Church
Located on the corner of Exercises and General Morán streets, this temple is the oldest and most important testimony of religious architecture using ashlar. It had a first building, of smaller dimensions, started in 1578 by Gaspar Báez, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1584. The second building, following the design we know today, was started by Diego Felipe in 1595, but suffered interruptions caused by earthquakes. and various problems. Simón de Barrientes continued the works in 1654. The domes were closed in 1690. The work was inaugurated in 1698, as is engraved on the porch.
The church of La Compañía de Jesús is distinguished by the rich ornamentation of its pediment, of the mestizo Plateresque type. In the tympanum of the side portal stands out a relief with the image of Santiago Matamoros, to whom the church is dedicated.
The entire building was made of ashlar, with semicircular vaults and half columns that support the upper entablature. It has three gilded altars in a careful mestizo baroque style and an attractive pulpit. All the ornamentation dates from the end of the 17th century. Although the massive ashlar construction has withstood the impact of strong earthquakes since 1698 without much damage, the tower that it presents today was rebuilt with more classic and simple features in the 19th century.
Adjacent to the church of La Compañía, on General Morán Street, part of the Jesuit cloister is still preserved, with corridors framed in ashlar portals carved from their base, dating from 1690.
The current Riclcetts house (in San Francisco street) and the current Irriberry mansion (in San Agustín street), both from the beginning of the 18th century, were also built by La Compañía, for conventual purposes, which lead to the upper part of the cover the Jesuit monogram carved in the ashlar.
San Agustin Church
This temple is located on the corner of San Agustín and Sucre streets, with the portico over the first one. Its current building dates from the 19th century. Its reconstruction was carried out after the 1868 earthquake, which left only the sacristy standing. The restoration tried to be faithful to the original style, mestizo baroque, from the 17th century. The dome retains the peculiar ornamentation of the old design.
The ornamentation of the portal, with thick reliefs and low proportions, with boldly stylized iconographic motifs, shows a mestizo art with more intense characteristics than in other Arequipa churches. The ship keeps an interesting collection of colonial painting.
Santo Domingo Church
The first doctrinal missionaries to arrive in Arequipa were Dominicans. Its first temple had two destructions due to seismic causes: 1582 and 1604. The facade and the main nave of the temple that we know today were completed in 1647. A polygonal tower was added in 1649 by the builder Juan de Aldana.
The front is characterized by the delicate carving of vines and rosettes, combined with cantuta flowers and trumpeter angels, around the sober image of the saint. It has withstood numerous earthquakes since the 17th century, but had to be rehabilitated due to seismic damage in 1868. It experienced other damage with the earthquakes of 1958 and 1960.
San Francisco Church and the Third Order
This church had a first building in 1569, directed by Gaspar Báez. It consisted of a single vaulted nave and a domed sanctuary. It did not suffer major damage in the 1582 earthquake, but it did in the 1687 earthquake. It was then remodeled and enlarged, including ashlar in the reconstruction.
It stands out for its stone choir and for the artistic application of brick in the configuration of the façade. It suffered serious damage in 1960, so it had to be rebuilt according to the original design. Next to this temple is the small church of the Third Order, built in 1775 and rebuilt after the 1784 earthquake.
It is shaped like a Latin cross with a dome over the transept. On the cover there are mestizo sculptural motifs, along with the figures of San Francisco and Santa Clara adoring the host. The church of the Third Order preserves a valuable colonial library.
La Merced Church
The church and convent of La Merced were founded in 1548. The temple that we know today was completed in 1661. The church of La Merced is distinguished by a solid dome that rises above the transept of the nave and by its curious style portico. Mudejar carved in the ashlar.
Santa Teresa Church
The Santa Teresa monastery, built in 1700, is located on the corner of Peral and Melgar streets. It is characterized by the large buttresses that support the church on the Calle Peral side. The exterior part has had architectural modifications but the interiors retain the original characteristics. Its church boasts a delicately carved stone baptismal font.
Santa Rosa Church
The Santa Rosa monastery was founded on June 12, 1747. It is located between San Pedro and Santa Rosa streets. It has a church that preserves many original mestizo baroque carvings from the 18th century.
Cayma Church
3 km from the city center, in the main square of the town of Cayma (called “the balcony of Arequipa”, due to the magnificent landscape of the valley that is offered there), there is a small church built by Pérez del Cuadrado in 1719. It is dedicated to the Virgin of Candelaria.
Given the devotion aroused by this cult, the famous parish priest Juan de Zamácola y Jáuregui added two side naves to it, completed between 1783 and 1802. Its ashlar construction keeps original handcrafted features derived from the mestizo baroque.
The priest’s house adjoining the temple, dating from the 19th century, is famous for the Liberator Bolívar staying there during his official visit in May 1825. The furniture and other belongings of those days are still preserved. In the church of Cayma, the remains of the hero Trinidad Morán, a Venezuelan of outstanding performance in the battles of Junín and Ayacucho, resident in Arequipa since 1826, where he was shot in 1854, due to the ups and downs of the wars, had funeral honors and temporary burial. civilians of the time.
Yanahuara Church
In the main square of this traditional town stands a picturesque church founded on January 29, 1750. It only has one nave, with a simple façade that boasts columns that flank the door. In the upper central part of the façade, a shell-shaped niche houses the image carved in ashlar of the Virgen del Rosario, to whom the church is dedicated. The carved motifs around the entrance arch and the thick buttresses of the walls seem to preserve pre-Hispanic reminiscences.
Church of Chiguata
In the square of the small town of Chiguata, 28 km from Arequipa, is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, which dates from the end of the 18th century. Its cover, carved in ashlar, with angels and flowers in an attitude of praise, is one of the most original of the Arequipa mestizo baroque style. Inside the church, flowers and cherub heads frame the figures of saints that form part of the columns that support the dome.