Iglesia de San Francisco (La Serena) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Iglesia de San Francisco |
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|---|---|
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Location | |
| Municipality | La Serena |
| Country | Chile |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Francisco Medina Juan Carbero Francisco Román |
The Church of San Francisco is a beautiful Catholic church in La Serena, Chile. It's a very old and important building. In 1977, it was named a National Monument of Chile. This means it's a special place protected for its history and beauty.
A Long History
Building the Church
The story of the Church of San Francisco began a very long time ago. In 1563, a group of religious people called the Franciscan Order came to La Serena. They started building the church you see today in 1590.
Three people helped build it: Fray Francisco Medina, Juan Carbero, and Francisco Román. They used limestone, a type of rock, from a place called Peñuelas Alto. They also used wood from the Fray Jorge Forest. The church was officially opened on December 25, 1627.
Surviving Challenges
This church is very strong! In 1680, a group of pirates led by Bartholomew Sharp attacked La Serena. They burned many buildings, but the Church of San Francisco was the only one they didn't destroy.
However, the church has faced many earthquakes. A big earthquake in 1730 damaged it. Workers finished fixing it in 1755. Another earthquake in 1796 caused the church's tower to fall down.
Changes Over Time
The building has also been used for different things. In 1824, the government took over the church's cloister, which is a covered walkway. For a few years, it was used as a place to make coins, called the Casa de Moneda de Coquimbo. But in 1858, the cloister was given back to the Franciscan Order.
Around 1870, the old roof tiles were replaced with wooden shingles. From 1878, the church had many changes. Part of its stone tower was taken down. The original design of the church was also changed. The front of the church was updated with three new doors. This made its style look more like Renaissance Revival. The church was opened again on October 1, 1899.
In 1913, the main front of the church was covered with plaster. Then, the 1922 Vallenar earthquake destroyed the tower again. A new tower made of strong concrete was built in 1923.
The church was badly damaged by the 1975 Coquimbo earthquake. The concrete tower was taken down in 1975. The plaster was also removed from the church, showing the original stone underneath.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Francisco (La Serena) para niños
