Basilica and Convent of San Francisco de Arequipa, Franciscan religious complex in Historic Center of Arequipa, Peru.

The Basilica and Convent of San Francisco is a Franciscan complex in Arequipa's historic center, built with tuff walls and brick vaults over a single nave in Andean Baroque style. It is one of the largest churches in the city and also houses a site museum, an art gallery, and a library of more than 20,000 volumes.

Franciscan priests received land from Don Lucas Martinez Begazo in 1551, and construction of the church by architect Gaspar Baez began in 1569. The complex expanded over the following centuries and became a major spiritual and educational hub for the city.

The complex keeps a site museum, an art gallery and a library of more than 20,000 volumes, so the visit extends beyond the church itself. The Franciscans arrived in Arequipa in 1551 and founded the convent the following year on land given by the encomendero and merchant Lucas Martínez Begazo.

The convent opened to the public in 1978. Inside, a site museum, an art gallery and a library of more than 20,000 volumes can be visited alongside the church. The complex sits in Arequipa's historic center, near the Plaza de Armas, so it is reached on foot through the surrounding streets.

The convent library holds more than 20,000 volumes, and the site also has a museum and an art gallery. The Franciscans arrived in Arequipa in 1551 and founded the convent the following year on land given by Don Lucas Martínez Begazo.