San Juan Bautista Church

San Juan Bautista Iglesia

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.

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Location:
Jr. Lima and Parque Pino
Puno, Peru

Culture, Cultural Tour

Travel Skills: None

By Ricardo Segreda

Growing up in New York, Rick Segreda used to cut out of high school in order to hang out at the Museum of Modern Art and catch foreign-language...

Created: 04 Nov 2009

Updated: 04 Nov 2009

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