Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [58]
Guide services in Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese are available for an additional fee.
AROUND THE PLAZA DE ARMAS
Iglesia de Santo Domingo
One of Lima’s most storied religious sites, the Iglesia de Santo Domingo (Map; 427-6793; cnr Camaná & Conde de Superunda; church free, convent S5; 9am-12:30pm & 3-6pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun) and its expansive monastery are built on land granted to the Dominican Friar Vicente de Valverde, who accompanied Pizarro throughout the conquest and was instrumental in persuading him to execute the captured Inca Atahualpa. Originally completed in the 16th century, this impressive pink church has been rebuilt and remodeled at various points since. It is most renowned as the final resting place for three important Peruvian saints: San Juan Macías, Santa Rosa de Lima and San Martín de Porres (the continent’s first black saint). The convent – a sprawling courtyard-studded complex lined with baroque paintings and clad in vintage Spanish tile – contains the saints’ tombs. The church, however, has the most interesting relics: namely, the skulls of San Martín and Santa Rosa, encased in glass, in a shrine to the right of the main altar. (For background on the saints of colonial Peru, see boxed text, Click here.)
Monasterio de San Francisco
This bright yellow Franciscan monastery and church (Map; 426-7377; www.museocatacumbas.com; cnr Lampa & Ancash; adult/child under 15 S5/1; 9:30am-5:30pm) is most famous for its bone-lined catacombs (containing an estimated 70,000 burials) and its remarkable library, where you can take in the sight of 25,000 antique texts, some of them predating the conquest. But this baroque structure has many other things worth seeing: the most spectacular is a geometric Moorish-style cupola, over the main staircase, which was carved in 1625 (restored 1969) out of Nicaraguan cedar. In addition, the refectory contains 13 paintings, of the biblical patriarch Jacob and his 12 sons, attributed to the studio of Spanish master Francisco de Zurbarán.
Admission includes a 30-minute guided tour in English or in Spanish. Tours leave as groups gather.
Iglesia de la Merced
The first Latin mass in Lima was held in 1534, on a small patch of land now marked by the Iglesia de la Merced (Map; 427-8199; cnr Jirón de la Unión & Miró Quesada; admission free; 10am-noon & 5-7pm). It was originally built in 1541 and then rebuilt several times over the course of the next two centuries. Most of today’s structure dates to the 18th century, with its most striking feature being the imposing granite facade, carved in the churrigueresque manner (a highly ornate style popular during the late Spanish baroque). Inside, the nave is lined by more than two-dozen jaw-droppingly magnificent baroque and Renaissance-style altars, some of which are carved entirely out of mahogany.
To the right as you enter is a large silver cross that once belonged to Father Pedro Urraca (1583–1657), a priest renowned for having had a vision of the Virgin. This is a place of pilgrimage for Peruvians, attracting worshipers who come to place a hand on the cross and beg for needed miracles.
Other Colonial Religious Sites
Santuario de Santa Rosa de Lima (Map; 425-1279; cnr Tacna & Callao; admission free; 7:30am-noon & 5-8pm) honors the first saint of the Americas in a plain, terra-cotta-hued church on a congested avenue located roughly at the site of her birth. You can find a modest adobe sanctuary in the gardens, built in the 17th century for Santa Rosa’s prayers and meditation. Right across the street, the Casa-Capilla de San Martín de Porres (Map; 423-0707; Callao 535; admission free; 9am-1pm & 3-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm Sat) commemorates the birthplace of San Martín (now a center of religious study). Visitors are welcome to view the bright interior patios and the diminutive chapel.
Two blocks south lies Iglesia de las Nazarenas (Map; 423-5718; cnr Tacna & Huancavelica; admission free; 7am-1pm & 5-9pm), one of Lima’s most storied churches. In the 17th century, the area