Description of the attraction
In 1546 the city of Arica was founded in a place called El Chenchorro. Fifty years later, the city was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami, which forced residents to move their homes to the harbor under the protection of Cape Morro, where it is today.
The current building of Arica Cathedral was built on the ruins of the city's second temple, erected in 1640. After 200 years of service, this church was also destroyed by an earthquake in 1868. Only stone steps have survived. The project for the new church building was commissioned by Peruvian President José Balta in the French workshop of Gustave Eiffel and was originally intended for the resort of Ancona. But in 1875 it was decided to build in Arica. A year later, the first Mass was celebrated in the temple.
During the Pacific War (1879-1883), the city of Arica became part of Chile. But until the twentieth century, the parish of Arica remained under the leadership of the diocese of Arequipa, according to the decree of the Vatican. In 1910, the mayor of the city of Arica, Maximo Lira, issued a decree expelling the Peruvian priest and his assistant from the country. They were replaced by Chilean military chaplains.
In 1911, the church was annexed to the diocese of Tarapaca (now the diocese of Iquique). And in 1959 it was transferred to the rank of a cathedral. With the blessing of Pope John Paul II, the Diocese of Arica was founded in 1986 with its center in St. Mark's Cathedral in Arica.
The church building is relatively small, in the Gothic style. The structure of the church is made entirely of metal - beams, columns, connected by pointed arches, with the exception of two wooden doors. The tower of the temple rises to the sky, giving the building a beauty and grandeur, which is enhanced by the surrounding landscape: Plaza de Colon, Cape Morro de Arica, harbor, port and endless sea.
In 1984, the building of the cathedral was declared a National Monument of Chile. And in 2002 - the Historical Monument of Ariki.
