Iglesia and Museo de San Francisco
- Address:Plaza San Francisco, Lima
- Hours:Open daily 9:30am - 5:30pm
- Admission:Adults: 7 Nuevos Soles
8:34 PM Saturday, May 26
Passing clouds. Mild.
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The Iglesia and Museo de San Francisco is a spectacular example of Moorish-inspired Spanish baroque colonial grandeur, but the real highlight is the spooky labyrinth of catacombs underground.
One of the best preserved churches in Lima, the Convent of San Francis of Assisi also has a remarkable library of antique texts and a tranquil cloistered garden.
A guided visit to the Museum and Convent takes you through the buildings’ history and architecture, before venturing into the underground passages lined with the bones of 25,000 Lima citizens from over 200 years of burials.
Bones were interred here until 1808, when Lima’s cemetery was established, and the catacombs lay undiscovered until 1943. A visit is not for the fainthearted, but those who do make the journey will be surprised to see the various skulls and thigh bones arranged in decorative patterns.
On the tour you’ll also visit the library of antique books, the pretty cloister, the museum of religious paintings and artifacts, the carved choir stalls and the Moorish-domed church.
Latest Reviews All Iglesia and Museo de San Francisco Reviews »
This was the only walking tour I could find of central Lima - and I'm so glad we booked it. We were the only two attendees, and during our 'private' tour, our guide spent more than three hours giving us an overview of Lima's colonial and post-colonial history, the significance of the religious and cultural sites in the centre, and Lima's current realities. We looked into local restaurants and shops and the central market in addition to well-known sites like the San Fransico Monestary, venturing off the typical 'tourist track.' We left the tour much more knowledgeable about the city's colorful history, and well-equipped for doing further wandering on our own. Highly recommended.
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Michael was a wonderful guide and we very much enjoyed the small group experience.
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We were very happy with this tour. We booked it expecting it to be in big group, but it turned out that we were the only ones on the tour. This was really good because the guide was able dedicate all her time to our questions. It was also really good because our guide was in her late 20's which is close to our age. This made it really easy to get along with her and be ourselves. Our guide was very knowledgeable about Lima and was able to give us a lot of fun facts about Lima and Peru. She also gave us lots of good food recommendations, things to try and travel advice/safety tips for our stay in Lima.
Continue Reading »Practical Info
The Iglesia and Museo de San Francisco is a block or two northeast of Lima’s cathedral, near the train station.
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