Construction of La Catedral was initiated in 1564 and finally completed around 1600. The original building lasted until the early 19th century, when it mostly collapsed. Most of what is now visible is the neoclassical construction, and the building’s elegant lines represent one of Bolivia’s best exemplars of that style. The interior decor represents some of the finest in Potosí. You can visit the bell tower for nice views of the city.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.07 MILES
The National Mint is Potosí’s star attraction and one of South America’s finest museums. Potosí’s first mint was constructed on the present site of the…
Museo y Convento de Santa Teresa
0.25 MILES
The fascinating Santa Teresa Convent was founded in 1685 and is still home to a small community of Carmelite nuns who have restored the sizable building…
1.93 MILES
The Lagunas de Kari Kari are artificial lakes (ranging from an elevation of 4500m to 5025m) constructed in the late 16th and early 17th centuries by 20…
8.72 MILES
Belief in the curative powers of Tarapaya (3600m), the most frequently visited hot-springs area around Potosí (21km northwest of the city), dates back to…
Museo y Convento de San Francisco
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This convent, founded in 1547 by Fray Gaspar de Valverde, is the oldest monastery in Bolivia. Owing to its inadequate size, it was demolished in 1707 and…
Iglesia y Museo de San Lorenzo de Carangas
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The ornate mestizo baroque portal of this church, probably one of the most photographed in Bolivia, is an explicit expression of the mezcla (mixture)…
La Capilla de Nuestra Señora de Jerusalén
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This church is a little-known Potosí gem. Originally built as a humble chapel in honor of the Virgen de Candelaria, it was rebuilt more lavishly in the…
0.11 MILES
The ornate and beautiful bell tower, on what remains of the former Jesuit church, was completed in 1707 after the collapse of the original church. Both…
Nearby attractions
Visit the bell tower of Potosí's central cathedral for nice views of the city. The side entrance is hard to spot.
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On Calle Junín, between Matos and Bolívar, this especially lovely and elaborate doorway, flanked by twisted columns, once graced the home of the Marqués…
0.07 MILES
The National Mint is Potosí’s star attraction and one of South America’s finest museums. Potosí’s first mint was constructed on the present site of the…
0.07 MILES
City Hall is housed in an elaborately designed colonial-era building with an ornately carved portal occupying the western side of Plaza 10 de Noviembre.
0.1 MILES
Constructed between 1555 and 1687, the restored Iglesia de la Merced has a carved pulpit, a gorgeous wooden ceiling and a beautiful 18th-century silver…
6. Torre de la Compañía de Jesús
0.11 MILES
The ornate and beautiful bell tower, on what remains of the former Jesuit church, was completed in 1707 after the collapse of the original church. Both…
0.12 MILES
This passageway, an extension of Calle Ingavi, east of Junín, wends around a series of angular turns, displaying some interesting architectural quirks…
0.13 MILES
An architecturally notable home that once housed lay sisters of the Franciscan order. It has three separate and widely spaced doorways with finely…