Santa Cruz de Jerusalen, Juli, Baroque church in Juli, Peru

Santa Cruz de Jerusalén is a ruined Baroque-Mestizo church in Juli, on the shore of Lake Titicaca. Of the 18th-century temple, the Renaissance doorway at the foot of the building survives intact, with paired pilasters and a circle bearing the Jesuit symbol; the Jesuits later added a Baroque portal over it using a triple-column arrangement that hides the older pilasters. Fine stone sculpture remains among the ruins.

The first church was built between 1581 and 1582; a century later its transept was rebuilt, and by 1741, according to Vargas Ugarte, the whole temple had collapsed and had to be raised again. Remodelled in the second half of the 18th century, it was formerly known as San Ildefonso. A lightning strike in 1914 left it almost destroyed, and it now stands in ruins.

The church was formerly known as San Ildefonso before being rebuilt and renamed Santa Cruz de Jerusalén. The preserved Renaissance doorway at the foot of the building is identical to that of the Asunción church, with paired pilasters framing a circle, the symbol of the Jesuits. The Jesuits later added a Baroque portal without touching the earlier one, using a triple-column arrangement to cover the Renaissance pilasters.

The church stands in ruins, so entry is not through a roofed nave but around the surviving stonework; the Renaissance doorway at the foot of the building is the part to look for. Juli sits on the shore of Lake Titicaca, and the site is reached on foot through the town.

The preserved Renaissance doorway at the foot of the ruins is identical to that of the Asunción church, with paired pilasters framing a circle, the Jesuit symbol. When the Jesuits added a Baroque portal they left the older one untouched, using a triple-column arrangement to cover the Renaissance pilasters.