Iglesia de San Francisco (La Serena) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Iglesia de San Francisco |
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Roman Catholic |
| Location | |
| Municipality | La Serena |
| Country | Chile |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Francisco Medina Juan Carbero Francisco Román |
The Iglesia de San Francisco is a beautiful Catholic church located in La Serena, Chile. It is a very important building, so it was named a National Monument of Chile in 1977.
Contents
History of the Church
Early Days and Construction
The story of the Church of San Francisco began a long time ago, in 1563. That's when the Franciscan Order, a group of Catholic priests, first arrived in La Serena.
Building the church we see today started in 1590. Three people, Fray Francisco Medina, Juan Carbero, and Francisco Román, worked on it. They used strong limestone rocks 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 Disasters
This church is very special because it was the only one that was not burned down by pirates in 1680. A famous pirate named Bartholomew Sharp led this attack.
However, the church was damaged by a big earthquake in 1730. Workers fixed it, and the repairs were finished in 1755. Another earthquake in 1796 caused the church's tall tower to fall down.
Changes Over Time
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, like a money factory. It was 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 new wooden ones. From 1878, the church went through 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, giving it a Renaissance Revival style. The church was opened again on October 1, 1899.
In 1913, the main front of the church was covered with plaster. Then, in 1922, the Vallenar earthquake destroyed the tower again. A new tower, made of strong concrete, was built in 1923.
Modern Repairs
The church was badly damaged by the 1975 Coquimbo earthquake. The concrete tower was taken down in 1975. Also, the plaster was removed from the church walls. This showed the original stone that the church was built with, making it look more like it did a long time ago.
