Chile Guide
Santiago
Cathedral Metropolitana
Opening time: Mon– Sat 9am–7pm, Sun 9am– noon
Address: West side of the Plaza de Armas
The grandiose stone bulk of the CatedralMetropolitana dominates the west side of the central plaza. A combination of Neoclassical and Baroque styles, with its orderly columns and pediment and its ornate bell towers, the cathedral bears the mark of Joaquín Toesca, who was brought over from Italy in 1780 to oversee its completion. Toesca went on to become the most important architect of colonial Chile, designing many of Santiago's public buildings, including La Moneda. This is actually the fifth church to be built on this site; the first was burnt down by Picunches just months after Valdivia had it built, and the others were destroyed by earthquakes in 1552, 1647 and 1730. Inside, take a look at the main altar, carved out of marble and richly embellished with bronze and lapis lazuli. Note also the intricately crafted silver frontal, the work of Bavarian Jesuits in the sixteenth century.