Templo de Sica Sica, Colonial church in Sica Sica, Bolivia
Templo de Sica Sica is a colonial church building in Sica Sica with a single interior hall, solid adobe walls, and thick buttresses reinforcing its structure. The facade divides into three sections and features a curved archway entrance, topped by two square bell towers.
The church was built during the 17th century under Spanish colonial rule of the Viceroyalty of Peru, reflecting the region's mining prosperity. A major fire in 1996 destroyed its roof and damaged interior paintings, requiring later restoration work.
The temple blends Spanish colonial architectural details with Andean indigenous craftsmanship, visible in its columns and decorative niches that hold religious statues. Walking through the space shows how two distinct building traditions merged into one structure.
The building sits near the main road connecting La Paz and Oruro, making it accessible by vehicle. Bring warm clothing as the high altitude brings cool temperatures and weather can change quickly.
The church is sometimes called the Cathedral of the Bolivian Altiplano despite being technically a parish church rather than a cathedral. Original bronze bells cast during colonial times still hang in the square towers and continue to mark daily time across the highland landscape.
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