BASÍLICA DE SAN FRANCISCO

The Franciscan missionaries, pioneers in the work of evangelization during the period of the conquest, were also the first to arrive in Charcas, along with the Almagro expedition. Once in Chuquiago Marka (the Aymara name for La Paz), the Franciscans founded the convent of San Francisco between 1548 and 1549. The church and the convent that we can see today have not preserved any of their original structure. Both buildings were built in the mid-18th century. The portal of San Francisco, with its columns wrapped in vines and tropical fruits, is without doubt the most beautiful monument in La Paz. The basilica was built with stones or sometimes monuments from the looting of the Tiwanaku site. Inside the basilica, the altar, overloaded, in pan de oro (wood or plaster painted with gold) attracts the attention of the visitor. The atmosphere of fervor and recollection is accentuated by the light of the candles that burn night and day. As in most Bolivian churches, metal plaques commemorate the favors and miracles obtained by anonymous families, indicated only by their initials.

Our advice: visit the church early in the morning, as soon as it opens, or on Saturdays during the morning. In the latter case, you will attend Aymara weddings that begin here and end somewhere between the cementerio general (where the popular neighborhoods begin) and El Alto.