The ancient colonial construction "Iglesia Mayor de la Villa La Plata" is the largest religious monument in Charcas, elevated to the rank of Bishopric of La Plata in 1552 and Archbishopric in 1609, respectively. Construction began in 1559 and was completed in 1712. Initially Renaissance in style, it was later enriched with Baroque and Mestizo Baroque additions. The main altar, in Greco-Roman style, and the dome crowned by the famous Carabuco Cross, is adorned with silver plates. The side naves feature valuable crystal chandeliers in each arch. Inside, you can admire oil paintings by masters Montúfar and Bernardo Bitti. Externally, the atrium is surrounded by a stone balustrade, and in the protruding corner, there is a stone cross known as the "Rumi Cruz". The clock, located at the top of the tower, dating back to 1772, is over two centuries old. The construction of the balustrade dates back to 1804, and the iron railing in the Rococo style was installed later.
It was built in 1617 on the site of the former chapel of Bishop Alonso Ramírez de Vergara. It houses the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, painted in 1601 by Fray Diego de Ocaña, a Jeronymite priest. In 1784, the original canvas was reinforced with a gilded silver plate, leaving only the faces and hands of the Virgin and Child from the original painting. The entire mantle and clothing are covered in pearls, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, topaz, and garnets, all donated by the faithful since the 16th century. This custom continues to this day. The chapel can be visited as part of a tour of the Cathedral Museum.
Built in the 16th century by the Dominican Order, who settled in 1546, it is the only example of the transition from Baroque to Neoclassical styles. Originally a single-nave Latin cross plan, two lateral naves were later added. Before the main altar, the venerated Lord of Great Power is found. Its facade features a lateral bell gable with three openings and a simple Baroque doorway. With the arrival of the Republic and following a decree of Marshal Sucre in 1826, the Dominicans were also affected. The church was secularized and its convent became one of the most important buildings in the city, housing the National Palace of Justice, the National Archive, and the National Library. In 1945, with the transfer of the judiciary to its new headquarters located in Parque Bolívar, the National Junín School was moved to the newly vacated space in 1946. Subsequently, the industrial area 30 and a boarding school were established. It served as the headquarters of the Constituent Assembly in 2006-2007. Recognizing its importance as a national heritage, on April 11, 1930, along with the Cathedral, the Santo Domingo Church was declared a National Monument.
Founded on January 16, 1639, by the generous benefactress Doña María de Ceballos Vda. de Maldonado, the monastery of Franciscan nuns under the advocation of Saint Clare was established in Charcas. Its construction took eighteen years. It remains a cloistered monastery to this day, so only the church, consisting of a single nave, and the upper and lower choirs (currently part of the Santa Clara Museum), the interior wooden ceiling, and the exterior roof with a short bell gable are accessible. All the heritage housed in the museum is the result of a collection of works of art from the convents, monasteries, and churches of the archdiocese of La Plata, works of art that were forgotten and at risk of disappearing. The relics on display were sed for worship, such as gold chalices with precious stone inlays and other liturgical objects. The art gallery features works by various artists.
The Discalced Carmelite Monastery of Saint Teresa was founded on October 5, 1655, by Archbishop Gaspar de Villarroel. The church was built with a single nave and features a coffered ceiling, several side altars, and colonial oil paintings on the walls. Externally, a bell gable can be seen on the facade, preceded by a small atrium. It is a harmonious architectural ensemble that offers a glimpse into the past.
The construction of this temple dates back to the years immediately following the founding of the city. It served as the main church while the Metropolitan Cathedral was being built. In its origins, it was a simple rectangular building with a thatched roof and a mud altar. In the mid-17th century, the church that can be seen today was built, with a single nave, a flat ceiling, and a facade topped by a bell gable. In the 18th century, the arcade surrounding the atrium was added. The main altar altarpiece, originally carved from cedar and gilded, was later covered in white stucco and remains in that condition. Notable are the baptistery altarpiece and the paintings depicting the four evangelists, attributed to Zurbarán.
The Convent of Our Lady of Santa Ana del Monte Sión, Recollect of Chuquisaca, was founded by Fray Francisco de Morales in 1600 and was considered one of the most beautiful and important in the province of San Antonio de Charcas. The church, rebuilt in the 19th century, consists of a single nave with a side chapel. The main facade is constructed with a portico of pilasters that support a triangular pediment. Two towers rise on either side. The interior of the temple displays four Gothic-style side altars dating from this century. In the choir, there is a unique 15th-century cedar wood choir stall belonging to the Alto Peruana school, which was transferred in 1875 from the church of San Francisco, where it originally belonged.
Former Jesuit Church, whose tower adjoins the San Francisco Xavier University and originally belonged to the Society of Jesus, was completed in 1621. The interior decoration of this temple features a rich Mudejar-style coffered ceiling, considered the most important of its kind. It has a Mannerist-style doorway and consists of a nave with a side chapel called the "Chapel of Loreto". The altars are in the Plateresque and
The Temple of San Francisco, one of the oldest in Bolivia, was founded in 1538 by Friar Francisco de Aroca as a chapel to catechize indigenous children and maidens. The current temple was completed around 1580, with significant renovations such as the construction of the sacristy and the crypt that houses the remains of the city's founders. In the 19th century, a decree from the Government of Sucre affected its structure by dividing the space of the convent and cemetery. The facade includes the Liberty Bell, a symbol of the 1809 revolution. The church, with 14 crosses representing the stations of the cross, was administered by the secular clergy until 1925, and was declared a National Monument in 1967.
Regarding the archway, according to documentation, in 1855 it was under construction; it consists of a large arch with a modest pediment that crosses the old Cortés street, now Aniceto Arce, and six narrower arches parallel to the current Fray José Antonio de San Alberto street, which are topped with pedestals and corresponding ceramic pinnacles connected by a balustrade. The arches were demolished in 1937 and then, fifty-two years later (September 25, 1989), the Municipality of Sucre inaugurated the restoration of the San Francisco Arches in their original architecture as a further contribution to the historical, heritage, and tourist values of the city.
The Temple of San Sebastián, built in 1539, like San Lázaro, was established as a parish for indigenous people, grouping together the Incas of Pacha, Arabates of Yanahuana, Canches, Chichas, Pacajes, and Collas. It has a single nave with a Latin cross plan, covered with a pair and knuckle structure, with tie beams and a crossing with a dome covered in the shape of a trough. The high choir is U-shaped, supported by wooden corbels decorated with quatrefoils. The interior of the church is unadorned except for the old altarpiece from the mid-17th century, the Doric pilasters supporting the crossing arches, and a series of paintings on the life of Saint Rose of Lima from the Cusco school. The portal is simple and seems to belong to the last third of the 16th century, with a Renaissance-style facade.
Built in the 16th century, it stands out for its battlements (of medieval defensive origin) on the sides of the upper part of the roof, as well as its belfry that runs parallel to the main nave. Inside, the main altar stands out, carved in cedar and gilded in baroque style, and the pulpit, which is among the best in Bolivia. Beautiful paintings by Melchor Pérez de Holguín hang on its walls, commissioned for the church and remaining there since.
Initially, it was the Hermitage of San Roque, dedicated to mulattos and blacks. In the atrium, you can see sculptures of a pair of dogs that originally belonged to the Princes of La Glorieta. These were gifted to the parish by their heirs, as the image of San Roque is associated with these animals.
The Beaterio de Santa Rita de Casia, the saint of impossible cases, was founded in 1781 along with its church, choir, and sacristy. Initially, it was intended to house girls, daughters of poor families of indigenous or mestizo descent, and they were taught manual skills for their future. From 1809, there was a shortage of vocations, and in 1826 the founders repurposed it as a hospice for the poor. It was maintained through popular charity, and later the Humanitarian Society of the Ladies of Saint Vincent de Paul took over. Currently, Canadian nuns continue to care for indigent elderly people.
The construction of the Lourdes grotto was driven by the devotion of Don Augusto Marión and Doña María Pacheco, who, with their own means, had it built on land adjacent to the Psychiatric Hospital and brought the image of the Virgin of Lourdes from France. This work was completed on February 11, 1922, with the first mass celebrated by Archbishop Víctor Arrien. The grotto was built with embedded rocks of different sizes, with spaces designated for the images of the Virgin of Lourdes and Bernadette.
Just two blocks from the main square is the only temple erected at the end of the 1700s, almost entirely built with stones carried by the parishioners from the quarries of Cerro Churuquella as a devotional tribute, similar to indulgences. Its vaulted terraces were made with glazed brick (a technique now lost), for contemplative and prayer walks dedicated to by the Filipino monks. The two bell towers were constructed by Paraguayan prisoners from the Chaco War. This beautiful place has a perfect viewpoint to end the afternoon with an impressive sunset view towards the city or the Cordillera de los Frailes. With its significant history, it currently functions as a school, which is why visits are only possible in the afternoons.
The Church of the Hermits of San Agustín was built by Pedro de Cepeda. The temple consists of a single nave with a Latin cross plan, with chapels and an octagonal crossing. The original church existed in 1590 and was replaced that same year by a higher quality one. Various works were carried out in 1608, with the facade completed in 1619 and the main chapel in 1630. It features two identical towers and a central finial with a sculpture of the Virgin. The church currently functions as the Don Bosco Educational Unit, which conducts religious tributes and various activities in this religious site.
The original purpose for which the Monastery of Santa Mónica (Augustinians) was created was to house the Virgin of Remedies in its own temple. Today, it is used as part of the Colegio Sagrado Corazón. According to Calancha, it was the second monastery of nuns founded in the entire viceroyalty, with Fray Juan de San Pedro as provincial and Fray Luis López as prior of the Convent of Chuquisaca. The dedication of the temple was to the Virgin of Remedies. The church is one of the oldest in Sucre, and according to Calancha, it was built by the Augustinian bishops, starting in 1565. The convent and temple were constructed in 1574. The facade of Santa Mónica, from the last third of the 18th century, is one of the most original in Sucre, with decorative elements such as atlantes, mermaids, and shells typical of the mestizo baroque style.
It was ordered to be built by the President of the Republic, Manuel Isidoro Belzú, around 1852 in gratitude to the Virgin of Carmen, to whom he attributed the salvation of his life in an assassination attempt. It is circular in shape, surrounded by twenty-eight Ionic columns, and is crowned by a hemispherical dome. It is the annual venue for the celebrations of the Feast of Carmen, which is characterized by its market of miniature crafts (Feria de Alasitas).