San Francisco Church, Santiago

Finished in 1613 under the supervision of Fray Antonio, this Franciscan temple is the oldest piece of architecture in Chile. Though it has stood up to the many earthquakes, it has also been restored on various occasions. The architecture is a mixture of neo-classical and colonial. The remains of La Virgen Del Socorro, a small wooden statue brought over from Italy by Pedro de Valdivia, are kept on the high altar. Immediately after the founding of Santiago, a hermitage was built and then taken over by the Franciscans who began the construction of the convent. The existing tower was built in 1857 and was preceded by three others. Inside, wonderful gold decorations of Moorish influence adorn the ceiling, and there are valuable statues of saints from the colonial era.