Church of Detif facts for kids
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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| Location | Detif, Puqueldón, Lemuy Island, Chiloé Province, Los Lagos Region, Chile |
| Part of | Churches of Chiloé |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii) |
| Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
| Area | 4.87 ha (12.0 acres) |
The Church of Detif (also known as Iglesia de Detif in Spanish) is a beautiful Catholic church. You can find it in the small town of Detif, which is part of the Puqueldón area. This town is located on Lemuy Island in the Chiloé Archipelago, way down south in Chile.
This special church became a National Monument of Chile in 1999. It's also one of 16 Churches of Chiloé that were named UNESCO World Heritage Sites on November 30, 2000. This means it's super important to the world!
The church honors Our Lady of Lourdes as its special protector, or patron saint. Her feast day, a day of celebration, is held every year on March 25. This church is part of the San Pedro Nolasco parish in Puqueldón. This parish is one of 24 that make up the Diocese of Ancud.
History of the Church of Detif
The very first chapel in Detif was built a long time ago, in 1734. The church you see today was built at the start of the 1800s. It stands in the middle of the town, very close to the beach.
How the Church Was Built
The builders used a strong stone base to protect the church from wet ground. The main parts of the church were made from two types of wood: coigue (a tree called Nothofagus dombeyi) and alerce (a tree called Fitzroya). The outside was covered with flat pieces of alerce wood, like tiles.
Because it was hard to find metal on Lemuy Island and Chiloé Island, the builders used wooden rivets instead of iron nails. This shows how clever they were with the materials they had!
Restoring the Church
The Church of Detif has been carefully fixed up a few times. It was restored in 1996 to keep it strong and beautiful. Another restoration happened in 2001. During this second repair, some of the alerce tiles on the top part of the front of the church were replaced with new panels.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Detif para niños
