San Francisco de la Montaña Church

The church at San Francisco de la Montaña, north of Santiago, is a plain stone and tile building on the outside, and inside it holds a set of baroque wooden altarpieces carved in the eighteenth century by local craftsmen, gilded and painted, with figures whose faces are unmistakably not European. It is generally regarded as the finest surviving colonial religious interior in the country and is a national historic monument.

What to look for

• The altarpieces - baroque carved and gilded wooden retables from the eighteenth century.
• The carved figures - saints and angels whose faces reflect local rather than European models.
• The plain exterior - the modest stone and tile building the interior sits in.
• The monument status - the church's standing as a national historic site.

When to go

Year round; the church is generally open during the day. Mass times restrict visiting. Feast days bring crowds.

Good to know

The church is sometimes locked outside service hours and finding the keyholder takes time. Lighting inside is poor for seeing the carving. There is no interpretation on site.

Nearby

Santiago is south, and La Yeguada Lagoon is northwest.