TEMPLO MUSEO SAN FRANCISCO DE ASÍS

The church of San Francisco de Asís (Saint Francis of Assisi) is one of the oldest buildings in the country. In 1538, shortly after the foundation of the villa of La Plata by Pedro de Anzures, Fray Francisco de Aroca arrived in Chuquisaca. In order to begin his work of evangelization, Fray Francisco built a small chapel covered with branches. It was replaced, at the end of the 16th century, by the present church. The atrium of the church, with a chapel in the corner, was erected in 1790 by Father Juan Alejo Zelaya. This chapel, where the natives were indoctrinated during Lent, is one of the few examples of an "open chapel" in South America. As for the church, the historian Diego de Mendoza tells us in a chronicle that it was completed in 1581 and that the bones of the conquistadores were deposited there. He adds: "It has a single nave, very cheerful, and can accommodate a large number of worshippers. The crossing is at the level of the main chapel and two side chapels. The whole church is very well decorated, the sacristy and the antisacristy blend in well with the rest. "Despite what Don Mendoza reports, the construction of San Francisco was not so simple and took a long time: from 1577, when the architect Juan de Vallejo was paid for the work done in the convent of the same name, to 1618, when the presbytery was fitted with the beautiful panelled ceiling that can still be seen today. In 1580, the first part of the church was finished. From that year onwards, San Francisco was subject to substitutions and amplifications. The main chapel was luxuriously rebuilt in 1595 and covered with a panelled ceiling. Today, San Francisco has the same structure as in 1580, with a single nave. Its chancel, which is quite high, has a panelled ceiling of octagonal shape. On the Gospel side, the church remains unchanged and corresponds to the old structure, while on the Epistle side, the structure is that of the construction dating from 1592. The two bell towers were erected at that time.

You can also visit the crypt of the church where many of the town's notables were buried. Please note that photographs are not allowed inside the church. The Sunday evening masses attract many people because of their singularity, since they are often accompanied by a rock band with drums, electric guitar and synthesizer!