Catedral de Santiago

The Cathedral is extremely impressive. With its orderly columns and bell towers, the current cathedral is the fifth church to be built on this site. The first one was burnt down by Mapuche Indians just a few months after it was built, and the others were destroyed by earthquakes in 1552, 1647 and 1730. The present building was built in 1745 by an Italian architect Joaquín Toesca y Ricci (he also build the Palacio de la Moneda) using baroque and classical styles. Its two towers were completed at the end of the 19th century.
Inside, you can see three naves, two on each side and a higher one in the center, as well as a barrel-vaulted ceiling. Some of the most outstanding features are the main altar, original from Munich and made of white marble with applications in bronze and lapis lazuli; the Holy Sacrament chapel, similar to the Saint John and Saint Paul Martyr chapel in Rome; as well as the organs, pulpits and carved mahogany altar seats, dating from the 18th century. You can also notice the intricately crafted silver frontal, which was made by Bavarian Jesuits in the sixteenth century. You'll find more examples of the Jesuits' exquisite silverwork in the Museo de Arte Sagrado (Mon 10.30am-1.30pm & 3.30-6.30pm; free admission) behind the main building of the cathedral, along with religious paintings, sculpture and furniture.The Cathedral was declared a National Monument in 1951.