The Monastery of San Francisco is one of the most visited sites in Lima by tourists and pilgrims. It is the number one site to visit according to Trip Advisor. Built in the late 17th century, both the church and monastery are gems of Spanish colonial architecture. A victim of devastating earthquakes throughout the centuries, I find the monastery much more beautiful than the actual church.
San Francisco is best known for its extensive catacombs that create an elaborate underground labyrinth where an estimated 25,000 bodies are buried. This colonial burial ground was closed in the early 1800s when the above ground Presbitero Maestro Cemetery opened. The catacombs also served as secret passageways connecting some of the city’s most important buildings. If you are claustrophobic, you want to wait for your group at the sacristy and admire the beautiful “family tree” of the Franciscan Order. The underground passageways of the catacombs get very tight and the ceiling is low. The air is musty.
Just a brief walk from the Cathedral of Lima and next to the Rimac River, there are now plenty of nice stores that line the street leading to San Francisco. You can buy beautiful traditional artwork. Make sure you visit the Bar Restaurant Cordano just one block from the church next to the Presidential Palace. It is a well-kept, traditional bar of years past. Stepping into Cordano is like going back over one hundred years in a time machine. Across the street from Cordano, you can admire the beautiful old train station of Lima, Desamparados.
Though San Francisco is a beautiful place, I will soon write about the Monastery of Saint Dominic. Not visited as often, I find the Monastery of Saint Dominic to be much better kept and much more beautiful.
Address: Corner of Jiron Ancash and Jiron Lampa, Lima
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