Description of the attraction
La Matriz Church is located in Valparaiso, in the heart of the city's port area, the so-called historic center of the city, surrounded by cobbled streets and houses from the late 19th century.
The first church building was built on this site in 1559 as a modest chapel for the inhabitants of the small village and the crews of ships that stop regularly at the port of Valparaiso. Its walls were made of adobe bricks and covered with a thatched roof. In 1578, the temple building was burned down by the pirates of Francis Drake. In 1620, a new temple was built on this site, consecrated in honor of the Virgin, whose image appears in the coat of arms of the city. Inside the church was an image of Christ, sent to Santiago by King Philip II of Spain in 1630, who by mistake found himself in this church.
The church building was again badly damaged and subsequently rebuilt after the devastating tsunami of 1730. In 1822, after another earthquake, it was decided to start new construction, which attracted a large number of wealthy families to the city and increased the volume of urban development in Valparaiso.
The construction of the present church was begun in 1837 and completed in 1842 under the leadership of the priest Jose Antonio Riobio. The church, with three naves and a rectangular vault, is crowned with an octagonal tower with a spire and stands out for its harmonious main façade. Eight columns surround the tower where the bells are located. Inside the church, three naves are divided by arcades, the walls are lined with wood and decorated with frescoes and stucco.
The classicism style is clearly visible in the facade and tower of the church. Other than that, with large, thick mud walls and a gabled roof, the Creole style of the 18th century is present.
In 1900, Valparaiso was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, represented by a solemn statue on a long square in front of the Church of La Matriz. Over the past century, the church has been repaired several times after the 1971 and 1985 earthquakes. After the last earthquake in February 2010, new restoration work was carried out during 2012. Therefore, the church of La Matriz is in good condition today.
La Matriz Church was declared a National Monument of Chile in 1971.
