Tarija Cathedral, Catholic cathedral in Tarija, Bolivia

Tarija Cathedral, also known as the San Bernardo Cathedral, is the main Catholic church of Tarija, in southern Bolivia. It stands in the city centre near Plaza Luis de Fuentes, not facing the main square, because the 1574 parish church collapsed in 1800 and this 1690 former Jesuit church of San Ignacio de Loyola, dedicated to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, took its place. Its frontis was originally adobe and later brick.

The building was founded in 1690 as the church of the Jesuit order, dedicated to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. Its facade was originally adobe and later rebuilt in brick. When the old parish church founded in 1574 by the Dominican Order collapsed in 1800, this church took over as Tarija's main parish church. The Diocese of Tarija was created on 21 November 1924, and on 11 March 1925 the church was raised to cathedral rank with Ramón María Font y Ferrés as first bishop.

The square in front of the cathedral draws locals who gather after Sunday mass or rest on the steps in the shade of the facade. Weddings and baptisms held here are treated as major community events, and it is common to see large family groups arriving dressed for the occasion.

The cathedral sits directly on Tarija's main plaza and is easy to reach on foot from the city center. Access for visitors is generally open outside of mass times, and it is worth checking the schedule before arriving if you plan to look around inside.

The cathedral is not on the Plaza Luis de Fuentes: the original 1574 parish church of the Dominican Order, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, stood there and collapsed in 1800. The Jesuit church of San Ignacio de Loyola, founded in 1690 and dedicated to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, then became Tarija's parish church and later cathedral.