La Merced

Lonely Planet review

Two blocks northwest of the Plaza Grande you'll find, La Merced. Construction of this church began in 1700 and was finished in 1742. At 47m, its tower is the highest in colonial Quito, and it contains the largest bell of Quito's churches. Legend has it that the tower, the only unblessed part of the church, is possessed by the devil.

Supposedly the only person strong enough to resist the devil was a black bell-ringer named Ceferino, and no one has dared enter the tower since he died in 1810. Hence the clock stands still and the bell hangs un-rung.

Myth aside, La Merced has a wealth of fascinating art, including paintings that show volcanoes erupting over the church roofs of colonial Quito and the capital covered with ashes.