La Catedral de Lima

Lonely Planet review

The original La Catedral de Lima, on the southeast side of the Plaza de Armas, was deemed too small for its congregation within a single decade, and work on its successor began in 1564, which was still unfinished when it was consecrated in 1625. It was badly damaged in the 1687 earthquake and almost totally destroyed by another earthquake in 1746. The is based on the early plans.

The interior is stark but impressive, with a beautifully carved choir and a small religious museum in the rear of the cathedral. Look for the coffin and remains of Francisco Pizarro in the mosaic-covered chapel just to the right of the main door. A debate over the authenticity of the remains raged for most of the 1980s and early 1990s, especially after several bodies and a mysterious disembodied head were unearthed in the crypt in the late 1970s. After a battery of tests and speculation, the authorities concluded that the body previously on display was an unknown church official and that a brutally stabbed and headless body from the crypt was indeed Pizarro's, and was reunited with the head and transferred to the chapel. Tours in English and several other languages are available for a tip. Only flashless photography is allowed.