Iglesia de San Francisco

Santiago


The first stone of the austere Iglesia de San Francisco was laid in 1586, making it Santiago's oldest surviving colonial building. Its sturdy walls have weathered some powerful earthquakes, although the current clock tower, finished in 1857, is the fourth. There is an attached colonial-art museum (CH$1000).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Santiago attractions

1. Barrio París-Londres

0.03 MILES

This pocket-sized neighborhood developed on the grounds of the Franciscan convent of Iglesia de San Francisco is made up of two intersecting cobblestone…

2. Londres 38

0.06 MILES

Explore the dark history of the early days of the Pinochet regime at this former detention center. There are both guided and unguided tours.

3. Biblioteca Nacional de Chile

0.14 MILES

Chile’s national library is a sight to behold, with soaring ceilings, stained-glass domes, checkered floors and creaky antique furnishings. One of the…

4. Cerro Santa Lucía

0.34 MILES

Take a break from the chaos of the Centro with an afternoon stroll through this lovingly manicured park. It was just a rocky hill until 19th-century mayor…

5. Palacio de la Moneda

0.36 MILES

Chile's presidential offices are in the Palacio de la Moneda. The ornate neoclassical building was designed by Italian architect Joaquín Toesca in the…

6. Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda

0.38 MILES

Underground art takes on a new meaning in one of Santiago's newer cultural spaces: the Centro Cultural Palacio La Moneda beneath Plaza de la Ciudadanía. A…

7. Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino

0.42 MILES

Exquisite pottery from most major pre-Columbian cultures is the backbone of Santiago's best museum, the Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino. As well as…

8. Plaza de Armas

0.43 MILES

Since the city's founding in 1541, the Plaza de Armas has been its symbolic heart. In colonial times a gallows was the square's grisly centerpiece; today…