Iglesia San Juan Bautista - Historical Building Puno - Peru

Iglesia San Juan Bautista began as a simple adobe chapel over 200 years ago. In 1876 it was rebuilt as a formal church, with a distinctly French-style façade, and three gothic altars on the inside. In 1988, it was elevated to a sanctuary honoring the Virgin of Candlemas; thus its other, more common name: Santuario de la Candelaria. The church is the focus of Puno’s main festival which honors the Virgen de la Candelaria (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 16th century, though others claim it was because of her appearance to some miners during the 19th century.

Location:

Jirón Lima, between Lambayeque and Santiago Giraldo, Parque Pino

Historical Building

Price Description: Free.

Relative price: Free

Open Hours from:Monday, Wednesday-Saturday 7:30 a.m.-noon, 4:30-7 p.m.; Sunday 6 a.m.-1 p.m., 5-8 p.m.

Travel Skills: None

Currencies accepted
Peruvian nuevo sol

About this Page

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...

Updated: 12 Jun 2012