Basilica of San Francisco, La Paz, Bolivia, Baroque church in central La Paz, Bolivia.
Basilica of San Francisco is a baroque church in central La Paz featuring a stone facade with three entrances and a bell tower set against the Andes. The building rises above the adjacent Plaza Mayor, showing elaborate stonework across its front.
The current church began construction in 1744 after the first structure from 1549 collapsed under heavy snow in the early 17th century. Work extended over several decades as stonemasons completed the richly decorated facade from local material.
The stone carvings on the facade show native Andean plants and animals alongside European motifs. This fusion appears especially in the columns and arches, where condors and tropical fruits sit next to Christian symbols.
The building sits at the intersection of Mariscal Santa Cruz Avenue and Sagarnaga Street beside the plaza. Visitors should choose the morning when light hits the facade from the west and the plaza is less busy.
The ceiling inside carries decorative elements similar to those at Santiago de Pomata church in Peru. This connection suggests the exchange of craftsmen or pattern books between both sites during colonial times.
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