San Francisco Church (Valparaíso) facts for kids
The San Francisco Church (Iglesia de San Francisco) is a Catholic church located on Barón Hill in Valparaíso, Chile. For many years, until the early 1900s, this church acted like a lighthouse for sailors arriving in Valparaíso. It was often the first building they could see, guiding them to the city. Valparaíso is sometimes even called "Pancho," which is a short nickname for Francisco.
Contents
A Historic Church in Valparaíso
Building and Early Days
The San Francisco Church was built by a group of monks called the Franciscans. Its construction was finished in 1846. Later, in 1890, an architect named Eduardo Provasoli helped to update and remodel the building.
Becoming a National Treasure
Because of its history and importance, the church was named a National Monument of Chile on July 19, 1983. This means it is a special building protected by the country.
Fires and Rebuilding Efforts
The San Francisco Church has faced many challenges, especially from fires. Despite these setbacks, it has been carefully restored multiple times.
The 1983 Fire
On February 4, 1983, the San Francisco Church suffered a fire. However, it was rebuilt and repaired in the years that followed.
The Big Fire of 2010
A very large fire hit the San Francisco Church on September 2, 2010. This happened while the church was already being repaired after the big earthquake on February 27, 2010. The fire started in the attic and badly damaged most of the church's roof. It also affected the nearby Luis Beltrán School.
The fire began around noon while a priest was leading a church service for about 60 people. Everyone inside the church was quickly and safely evacuated. Around 600 students from the nearby Luis Beltrán School were also moved to safety. Experts believe the fire was caused by sparks from welding work being done as part of the repairs. The damage from this fire was estimated to cost millions of US dollars.
Another Fire in 2013
The church was hit by fire again on August 2, 2013. This fire started early in the morning, around 4:30 AM, for reasons that were investigated. It began near the Faculty of Mathematics of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso. Firefighters confirmed that the building was not in danger of collapsing. At the time, the church was still being repaired and was almost ready to be reopened by President Sebastián Piñera.
A New Beginning: Restoration
After many years of hard work and extensive repairs, the San Francisco Church was finally reopened in May 2024. This marked a new chapter for the historic building, allowing people to visit and worship there once again.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de San Francisco (Valparaíso) para niños
