IGLESIA DE LA COMPAÑIA DE JESUS

The construction of this church took the Jesuits one hundred and seventy years, between 1605 and 1775. It is one of the richest churches in all of Latin America and is in an exceptional Baroque style. Its facade, built of volcanic stone, is magnificently sculpted and decorated with double salomonic columns, a copy of those of Bernini in the Vatican. The sumptuous interior decoration is of Moorish inspiration and includes fruits, birds, caryatids, all covered with gold leaf. The main altar reproduces, in an extraordinary display of gold, the Salomonic columns of the façade. The Holy Trinity and the statues representing St. Francis and St. Ignatius are by the artist Bernardo de Legarda. In the second chapel there is a beautiful sculpture by Caspicara, illustrating the Passion of Christ. The pulpit and the carved wooden confessionals are admirable. The coffin of Marianita de Jesús, the patron saint of the city, is also located here. In the last twenty years, an important restoration work has been carried out, largely as a result of a fire that destroyed a large part of the nave. This church is considered one of the seven wonders of Ecuador. And it is easy to see why! The Residencia de San Ignacio and the Fundación Iglesia de la Compañía, in charge of the conservation and maintenance of the place, invite you to visit this beautiful church and thus get involved in the preservation of this cultural heritage.