Plaza de Armas, Arequipa, Peru
Church of the Society of Jesus (La Compania)
A seventeenth-century Jesuit church in Arequipa, Peru, whose carved white volcanic stone facade is considered the finest example of Andean Baroque architecture.
La Compania stands on Arequipa's Plaza de Armas, its facade carved from the same white sillar volcanic stone that gives the city its nickname, the White City. Built between 1590 and 1698, the church was destroyed by earthquakes and rebuilt twice. The current facade, completed in 1698, is an astonishing wall of carved stone — saints, angels, flowers, birds, grapes, and indigenous motifs woven together in a style that is Baroque in structure but Andean in spirit. Inside, the main altar is gilded wood from floor to ceiling, covered in gold leaf. The sacristy ceiling, painted with tropical birds and jungle scenes by indigenous artists, is unlike anything in European church art. The Jesuits were expelled from Peru in 1767, but their church remains the most beautiful building in Arequipa.
Diocese: Archdiocese of Arequipa
Style: Andean Baroque (Mestizo Baroque)
What to See
The facade requires time — the carved details are dense and reward a close, slow reading. Inside, the gilded altar is overwhelming in the best way. Ask to see the sacristy ceiling, which is often overlooked but extraordinary. The cloisters next door house shops and restaurants.
Pilgrim Notes
La Compania is on the main plaza in Arequipa, easily found. The city is at 7,660 feet — altitude can be an issue. The Santa Catalina Monastery nearby is another must-see. Arequipa is Peru's second city and a natural stop between Lima and Cusco.