La Catedral - The Cathedral of Lima, Lima

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The first stone of the Basilica Cathedral of Lima was laid in 1535. The original adobe building was officially inaugurated by Francisco Pizarro in 1540. It was designated a cathedral by Papal Bull in 1541.

Since that time the church has been extended and reconstructed several times as the result of a number of earthquakes - the last of any significance was in 1940. The colonial structure and facade still remain. The facade has three large doorways and the central door is known as the Portada del Perdon - 'the door of forgiveness'.

The Cathedral also contains the tomb of the Spanish conquistador of Peru, Francisco Pizarro.

Hours: Mon-Sat 10-4:30

Admission: S/10

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The Cathedral of Lima is a Roman Catholic Basilica. Construction on the cathedral began in 1535. We were unable to tour the cathedral when we first arrived in Lima. It was not opened on the day we visted Plaza Mayor. However on the day of the celebration of Peru's 475th anniversary it was open to the public. The parade for the celebration ended at the site of the cathedral. We were able to walk through the doors and enjoy the splendor of the church. Inside the church is the grave of Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro.

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The Cathedral of Lima is located on the Plaza de Armas and is the third cathedral on the site. The first was inaugurated in 1540 and was actually only a small Chapel - it is said that Pizarro laid the first stone of the Chapel. The Chapel was replaced by a new and bigger church in 1555, but just a decade later it was also considered too small for Lima. A new and even bigger cathedral was planned, but the citizens of Lima had to wait 50 years before it was completed and consecrated in 1625.

The cathedral was badly damaged by the earthquake in 1687 and again in 1746, where the cathedral was almost totally destroyed. It was rebuilt, and the restoration was done by using original plans of the old cathedral.

We went on a one-hour guided tour (in English) though the cathedral, and passed the beautiful carved choir stalls, the enormous chandeliers, the mosaics and paintings, the tomb beneath the altar, the many chapels dedicated to different saints, and the mosaic-covered chapel (to the right of the entrance) with the coffin and remains of Francisco Pizarro (the founder of Lima). There is also a museum, ‘The Museum of Religious Art of the Lima Cathedral’, which contains many sacred items and relics – mostly from the colonial era. Also notice the huge columns inside the cathedral - they look like stone, but are really made of wood to be more elastic for earthquakes.

We only paid a small tip for the guided tour (highly recommendable). The entrance fee was 10 soles (November 2009) for adults.

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Our tickets stated that we would not be able to visit the cathedral because of APAC, but I was hopeful that the conference would be over by that time, and I was right.

They let us take pictures inside as long as we didn't use flash. Although the interior is quite large and quite dark - built in the baroque style in 1564 - I was able to get some reasonable photos without using flash. It is supposed to have been designed by Francisco Pizarro (who conquered the Incas and founded Lima) and his tomb is inside (photo 3).

It was rebuilt after earthquakes in 1746 and 1940, and the altar was replaced around 1800 with one in a neoclassical style. At about the same time the towers that flank the entrance were added. It has a delicate vaulted ceiling, intricately carved choir stalls (photo 4) and a checkerboard floor.

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The Cathedral of Lima was first built in 1535 following orders of Francisco Pizarro, it was first a modest church, and with the years it has suffered many different renovations and changes, some to make the cathedral bigger, some to fix it after earthquakes, etc. This is why when we look at the Cathedral we can see various different styles. It was last renovated in 2004. One of the main attractions of the Cathedral is the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, which you can find inside.

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The guided tour inside the Cathedral is included in the price of the entrance ticket, but the guide will probably ask you for a tip after finishing his job...

Besides beautiful chapels, paintings and sculptures, the visitor will also see the Tomb of the Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro, the place where the remains of his body were found, the room where peruvian independence was proclaimed by San Martin and a nice exhibition of religious objects.

I´ve enjoyed it!!!

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The construction of the Cathedral began in 1564 and was finished in 1622, but a severe earthquake destroyed it in 1746 and it had to be rebuilt.

The Cathedral combines gothic, neoclassic, renaissance and baroque styles.

Beside the cathedral, on your left side if you look from the plaza, is the Archbishop´s Palace, another fine example of the colonial architecture.

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It has been told that in January 18, 1535 the conqueror Francisco Pizarro placed the first stone and carried over his shoulders the first log used in the construction of the Cathedral. The stones needed for this buiding were taken from the old Inca temple situated on this same place, of course.