San Juan Bautista Church

Culture, Cultural Tour

By Ricardo Segreda

The San Juan Bautista Church is the focus of the main festival in Puno, in honor of the “Virgin of the Candleholder,” which takes place in the first week of February. The Virgin was adopted as the city’s spiritual guardian following the victory of Spanish troops over local tribes in the 16^th century, though some others claim it due was to the Mother of God's appearance to some miners during the 19th century. The church itself has a history going back 200 years, when it began as a chapel. In 1876 it was rebuilt as a formal church, with a distinctly French-style facade on the outside, and three gothic altars on the inside.