Basílica de los Sacramentinos, Catholic basilica in Santiago, Chile
The Basílica de los Sacramentinos is a Catholic church in central Santiago with a prominent central dome rising 69 meters high. The building combines Romanesque and Byzantine architectural elements throughout its structure and consists of two levels: an underground crypt lit by high windows and an upper church elevated 1.8 meters above street level.
The Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, founded by Peter Julian Eymard in 1856, settled in Chile in 1908 through the efforts of María Lecaros de Marchant. Work on the 1,500 m² crypt began in 1911 and it opened on 15 June 1919; the upper church was partially opened on 22 March 1931, and Alejandro de la Noi Matamala completed the finishes in 1934. It is a National Votive Temple for Chile's independence centennial and a parish since 30 August 1928, declared a historic monument on 29 October 1991.
The church is a national votive temple marking Chile's independence centennial and has been a parish since 30 August 1928. Its name comes from the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, founded by Saint Peter Julian Eymard in 1856, whose first members reached Chile in 1908 through María Lecaros de Marchant. The bronze doors carry a Latin inscription: "I have chosen this place for my heart to remain in it."
Entry to the upper church is through an elevated entrance, while the underground crypt is reached via dedicated stairs. Visitors should expect different lighting conditions, as the crypt relies on high windows for illumination while the upper level receives natural light from outside.
The bronze doors were made by Chilean goldsmiths, and the lintel bears an inscription in a dead language: "I have chosen this place for my heart to remain in it." The floor near the altar is one of the entrances to the abyss in the video game Abyss Odyssey.
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