San Francisco Church

The Church of San Francisco can be considered the same age as the city of Quito – its construction began just a few weeks after the city was founded in 1534, and ended only 70 years later – in 1604.

The Franciscans were the first religious authority to establish themselves since Quito’s founding, and they immediately began to build a monastery that became a center of art and education – the monastery had its own school of sculpture and painting. During the earthquakes that often occurred in Quito, part of the church and monastery were destroyed, but the original part of the building was able to survive.

It is believed that the San Francisco Cathedral with its rich interior is a true example of the "Baroque school of Quito" - a mixture of Italian, Spanish, Flemish, Moorish and local styles in art.