The Church and Cloister of the Society of Jesus, recognized as a Historic Monument by UNESCO, is one of the most important monuments in Arequipa due to the influence that its construction generated in other temples around the city.
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The use of ashlar in the construction of the Church of the Company of Jesus is particular to Arequipa. This work began to be executed in 1578 under the guidance of the plans of Gaspar Baez. But with the earthquake of November 13, 1582 destroyed much of the church and so in 1590 began with the reconstruction project under the command of Father Diego Felipe.
After that, there were more earthquakes that damaged the building such as the earthquake of 1687 to conclude the restoration of the church in 1698 and with the earthquake of 1868 the tower suffered a demolition. Nevertheless, with all the reconstruction works, the Compañía de Jesús is one of the most attractive attractions for the monumental value it represents.
The Church and Cloister of the Society of Jesus is located at 114 General Moran Street, which is very close to the Plaza de Armas in the city of Arequipa.
The mestizo baroque style architecture, the two-story façade will catch your attention at first:
On the second floor is the main entrance door with an arch that supports it and on the sides are four pairs of columns with geometric carvings. The second floor has a splendid niche that is also in the middle of four columns, in the upper part you can see the impressive details they present.
Inside the church you can see carvings of different designs, religious treasures such as the pulpit covered in gold leaf and niches with the image of San Francisco de Borja, the Duke of Gandia, among others. In the same line, we will find the Chapel of San Ignacio, which is the ancient Sanskrit that contains an impressive ornamentation that presents tropical colors.
About the part of the Cloisters (1677), in these the works in relief stand out with images of very good design, the arches that they possess also impose the elegance and value that throughout the history has demonstrated in its faithful and as culture of Peru.
Video about the Cloisters of the Society of Jesus:.
To enter La Compañía de Jesús it is important to know the hours of access, in this case it is from Monday to Sunday from 09 to 15 hours and the entrance fee is free, but there are some specific areas where it is necessary to pay a certain amount.
