Church of La Compañía, Arequipa facts for kids

Facade of La Compañía

The Church of La Compañía is a beautiful old church in the Historic Center of Arequipa, Peru. It stands between the Portal de la Municipalidad and the Portal de Flores. This church was built by the Jesuits, a group of Catholic priests. It's a great example of a special building style called Andean Baroque.

Inside, you can see amazing wooden altarpieces covered in shiny gold. The sacristy has a special room called the Chapel of San Ignacio. It has colorful paintings of tropical plants and animals. The cloisters, which are covered walkways, were built in the 1700s. This church is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means it's a very important place to protect.

History of the Church

Church of La Compañia and Plaza de Armas in 1867.

Building the Jesuit College in Arequipa started on August 17, 1578. This was possible because a man named Diego Fernández Hidalgo donated a lot of money. The church itself began to be built later, in 1595. Brother Felipe was in charge of the work. The church was finally finished in 1698.

Like many buildings in Arequipa, this church was made from a special stone called tuff. This stone comes from volcanic quarries nearby. Tuff is easy to carve, but it's also porous. This meant builders couldn't carve too deeply. Instead, they created amazing designs that covered the surface of the walls, almost like a giant stone tapestry.

The side entrance was built in 1654. The main front of the church was finished in 1698. It has carvings of flowers, spirals, birds, and angels with both Native American and European faces. Inside, there's a colorful dome and 66 paintings from the Cusco School. Some of these are original oil paintings from the 1600s by an Italian artist named Bernardo Bitti.

The arched ceilings, called vaults, were not finished until 1690. Old records say the church was built very well to stand strong against earthquakes. The Jesuits had to leave Arequipa on September 17, 1767.

Church Architecture

The church has a shape like a Latin cross when you look at it from above. It has three main sections, deep side chapels, a crossing area, and a dome. The whole church, including its front, is made of tuff stone. This stone is white, porous, and easy to carve, which was perfect for all the detailed decorations.

The main front of the church is a great example of the Andean Baroque style. It's considered one of the best examples of colonial decoration in South America. The carvings are mostly on the surface, not carved deeply into the stone. The main front was rebuilt in 1698 after an earthquake.

This style of decoration became very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. It's special because it mixes local Native American elements, like plants and animals, with European designs. These carvings cover the entire front of the church, leaving almost no empty space.

Inside, the main altar is one of the most beautiful in Arequipa. It features a famous painting called "The Virgin with the Child." This painting was created by the Italian artist Bernardo Bitti, who came to Peru in 1575.

There is also a pulpit made of fine wood. It's covered in gold leaf and looks like delicate gold lace. The high altar is also in the Baroque style and is completely covered in gold leaf. It has statues of saints like St. Ignatius of Loyola, who started the Jesuit order, and St. Francis Borgia. There's also a statue of the heart of Jesus on this altar.

The dome of the Church of La Compañía is a stunning part of the building. It sits on a square base with small windows that let in light. The dome itself has geometric patterns that remind people of the Renaissance style. The side entrance and the two cloisters are also beautifully decorated with stone carvings.

Outside the Church

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  Lateral portal of the Church of La Compañía de Jesús.

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  Main portal.

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  Facade.

The Cloisters

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  One of the cloisters.

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  Arches of the cloister

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  Detail of the arches of the cloister.

Inside the Church

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  The dome.

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  Church of La Compañía, interior view.

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  Jesus, the Captive.

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  The ornate sacristy.

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  Resurrected Christ (1603) by Bernardo Bitti. Preserved in Church of La Compañía.

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  Virgin with the Child (1603) by Bernardo Bitti. Preserved in Church of La Compañía.

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia de la Compañía (Arequipa) para niños

• List of colonial buildings in Arequipa