IGLESIA SAN FRANCISCO

Built in 1777 thanks to the benefactress Doña María Ri in Zubizarreta, it has preserved the mestizo style that characterizes most Andean temples. Inside, the baroque altarpieces, carved in wood and bathed in gold leaf, stand out, the most famous of which is dedicated to Saint Francis. Its altars are bathed in gold and silver leaf. The convent of San Francisco de Huancavelica is linked to popular legends and memories of war. In the "Peruvian traditions" written by the Peruvian writer Ricardo Palma, the legend of the "headless father" appears: a Franciscan father hanged himself in one of the cells of the convent and from that day on he walks through the nights and rings the church bells. During the Pacific War, in the 19th century, the convent became the headquarters of the army commanded by Andrés Avelino Cáceres and the Peruvian resistance. Cáceres sold the musical instruments of the temple, with the intention of raising funds to support the Peruvian troops during their stay. Nowadays, on the square of the church, on December 24th and 25th, the "scissor dancers" contest is held. Likewise, on January 6 of each year, the "Adoration of the Magi" is held in almost the entire city of Huancavelica.

The oldest settlers say that the seven churches of Huancavelica were connected to each other by underground conduits so that the Catholic evangelists could plan escapes before the attacks of the natives.