CATEDRAL DE SANTIAGO (cathedral of Santiago).

Location: Plaza de Armas

Phone: 6718105

Web site: http://www.iglesiadesantiago.cl/

Opened: Monday to Sunday, every days of the year, from 9:00 am to 19:00 hrs.

Subway station: Plaza de Armas.

At the beginning this was the main altar or church when the City was created by Pedro de Valdivia and his men, then in 1561 the Pope “Pio IV” declared this city as the headquarters of bishopric, in this moment the church became into the Cathedral of the new city.

The temple fell several times, owing to earthquakes and burn outs, but finally in 1748 Matias Vasquez Acuña built a stronger and bigger building that had the main entrance at the square “Plaza de Armas”.

In 1780 the Italian architect Joaquin Toesca was asked to design the facade in neoclassical style. Giving a new aspect to the square area.

Ending the XIX century the archbishop “Mariano Casanova” ordered to add some changes to the temple and hired “Ignace cremonesi” also an Italian architect, that complete the work of  Toesca adding Domes or cupolas on the roof top, and putting some statues that decorate and give the final appearance that we see today.