- Address: Plaza de Colón, Arica, Arica-and-Parinacota region, Chile.
In the middle of the XVI century in the town of El Cencorro conquistadors founded the city of Arica . At the same time, Dominican monks began to arrive here, who later founded a local diocese belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. Fifty years after the earthquake, the city was completely destroyed and it was founded in a new place, where the city of Arica is located to this day.
In the 17th century, the city began building houses in the Spanish model, streets were paved with stones, small areas grew. In 1640, the first building of the city's St. Mark's Cathedral was built, one of the main city sights.
St. Mark's Cathedral - history of erection
From the very beginning of its existence, St. Mark's Cathedral impressed with its architecture, documentary evidence of it remained a lot, but, nevertheless, after 200 years of service the cathedral was again destroyed in the earthquake. In 1870 it was decided to build a new church, because from the old one there were only stone steps.
Peruvian President Jose Balta commissioned a new cathedral building for Gustave Eiffel, but he planned to build a church in the resort town of Ancona. But by coincidence, St. Mark's cathedral again ended up in Arica. The fact is that the finished cast-iron frame of the building and the metal armature was sent by ships from France. On the way to Peru, the ships stopped at the port of Arica, the designers noted that the city is struggling to recover from the earthquake. After that, the city government and the intelligentsia appealed to the president to build the church on the site of the destroyed one. Jose Balta agreed, and since then the construction of the Cathedral on the cleared foundation of the former church of San Marco has begun.
The frame was erected fairly quickly, but the masonry and central doors were made in place. The door was made in the workshop of a famous Chilean master from valuable species of the local tree.
It is noteworthy that the building of St. Mark's Cathedral was erected without the use of cement, thanks to a metal structure designed and manufactured in France. In the XIX century, this technology was the most advanced and symbolized the renewal of Arica after the earthquake. St. Mark's Cathedral is made in the Gothic style with lancet arches of windows and spiers of domes.
After the end of the Pacific military campaign, the city of Arica was included in Chile , and in 1910 the Peruvian priest was deported from the country and the service began to lead the Chilean military chaplains. Since 1984, the Cathedral of Saint Mark in Chile was listed in the Register of Architectural Monuments.
How to get to the cathedral?
Once in Arica , find the Cathedral of St. Mark will not be difficult. This is due to the fact that the church is located in the center of the city, on the Plaza de Armas.