St. Peter's Church, Catholic basilica in Historic Center, Lima, Peru.
The Minor Basilica and Convent of San Pedro is a Jesuit church in Lima's historic centre, completed in 1638 as part of the College of Saint Paul. Its neoclassical stone façade has three arched doors, a triangular pediment with a niche of Saint Peter, and two towers topped by wooden lanterns. Inside, three naves with tiled arcades lead to a dome inscribed with Matthew 16:18.
The church was founded in 1638 as part of a Jesuit college and developed over time into a significant religious center. It eventually achieved basilica status and became a burial place for notable figures from Peru's colonial period.
The Jesuits still administer the church, which is also the National Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The atrium once held the cemetery, marked today by a cross, and later served as a small open-air stage. The two side doors of the neoclassical façade usually open only during Holy Week and major feast days.
The church stands at the corner of the fourth block of Jirón Azángaro and the fourth block of Jirón Ucayali, three blocks from the Plaza de Armas and one from Avenida Abancay. The main door is normally the one open; the two side doors usually open only during Holy Week or major religious events. The atrium is enclosed by a low cement parapet.
Inside the church is the heart of Pedro Antonio Fernández de Castro, 10th Count of Lemos and Viceroy of Peru from 1667 to 1672. It was moved here from the Church of Our Lady of the Forsaken, demolished in 1937, where the count was often seen sweeping the street outside with a broom despite his office. Viceroy Ambrosio O'Higgins (1796–1801) is also buried in the church.
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