CATEDRAL METROPOLITANA

The most important religious building in the city. Its construction took a long time. Between 1551 and 1561, a very simple structure was built, with a single nave and a ribbed roof. Between 1580 and 1623, the baptistery, the transept crossing, the main chapel and the sacristy were built. In the meantime, the original building had to be repaired and chapels had to be added to strengthen the structure. However, the church as a whole still did not meet the architectural requirements, so around 1686 it was decided to add two more naves to remedy the building's defects. In 1688, the walls of the two naves and the arches were built, and the construction of the vaults and the tower was started. In spite of these successive efforts, the cathedral still proved to be defective. In 1712, a new repair of the vaults was necessary. In its present form, the cathedral, with its three naves covered with ribbed vaults, offers a harmonious whole that can rival the great cathedrals of Peru. On the Epistle side, the façade by the architect Gonzalez Merguete is the best example of pure baroque that can be seen in Charcas, as it ignores any local influence. It has three levels, decorated with draped columns that make it so original. However, this facade was not popular, and no one in Charcas tried to imitate it. It remains, however, one of the most interesting examples of "metropolitan baroque" in the Viceroyalty of Peru.