MUSEO FRANCISCANO FRAY PEDRO GOCIAL

Behind the imposing white façade of the San Francisco church lies Latin America's most important religious museum. Within the walls of the convent, the Franciscan fathers established their school: El Colegio de Arte y Escultura San Andrés, where the art of painting and sculpture was taught. Today, the works are displayed in the city's various churches. This haven of peace contrasts with the hustle and bustle of the square and surrounding streets. The Fray Pedro Gocial Museum boasts one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of Quenño art, with pictorial, sculptural, gold and silver, paper and textile pieces that tell of the genius and talent of the inhabitants of this land from the 16th^{to the 18th} centuries. You can also appreciate the unique beauty of two of its six monumental cloisters and the choir and interior of the church. The monks still live in this building, whose main cloister is a garden refreshed by a superb central fountain and encircled by arcades under which various altarpieces are displayed. Numerous pieces of religious art from the ^16th to the ^19th century, including works by Miguel de Santiago and a crucifix attributed to Caspicara, are displayed in a succession of recently renovated rooms. The choir of the adjoining church, with its 61 seats, offers a bird's-eye view of the central nave. The European organ dates back to 1938 and is still played regularly at church services.