The Temple of La Compania de Jesus

     The Temple of La Compania de Jesus is known as one of Quito's, and South America’s, most ornate, rich, and extraordinary churches. UNESCO has catalogued it as among the hundred most important World Heritage Site Monuments in the world, and it is a standout among the Baroque splendors of the Old Town. While the Church has influence from the two churches in Rome, the church came to be by the Jesuit Order, a powerful religious group that exercised authority in Ecuador. The first Jesuit priests arrived in Quito in 1586 with the mission to establish a church, school, and monastery, thus the Temple of La Compania de Jesus was born. Construction on the new Jesuit church began in 1605, and it took another 160 years to finish. When construction began, the church was built in stages, starting with a simple structure that was open to the public while the larger building was underway. Italian brother Marcos Guerra oversaw construction of the main structure from 1620 to 1670, while the carving of the side altars followed in the late 1600s. The temple is considered to be an example of the extraordinary artistic ability of the Ecuadorian artisans, and the best sample of the American Baroque style, but the 160-year construction period explains the difference in design between the Baroque façade and the Renaissance interior. The exterior of the church is constructed out of volcanic stone and lavishly decorated with gold leaf, which is said to give the church a sort of candlelight glow.  

                                                                                                                                                                                              

   https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Iglesia_de_La_Compa%C3%B1%C3%ADa,_Quito,_Ecuador,_2015-07-22,_DD_149-151_HDR.JPG

           

     When entering the church you can see the large Solomonic columns, which serve as symbols of the Catholic doctrine that life’s journey starts at the bottom, or on earth, but by following the holy path ends at heaven. On the main door to the church and the ceilings there are various carvings and symbols of the sun. The Spanish believed that if they decorated the entryway with indigenous symbols, such as the sun, it might encourage local people to join the church. The walls and ceilings are typical of Moorish design, and the floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross. As you walk deeper into the church you will see the main altarpiece, which took 20 years to construct and is where former president Gabriel Garcia Moreno is buried.

                                        

               http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g294308-d314181-i68731719-Iglesia_de_La_Compania_de_Jesus-Quito_Pichincha_Province.html

      Beneath the main altar lie the relics of St. Mariana of Jesus, and over the altar hangs a miraculous image of Our Lady of Sorrows. The church organ is American made, and dates back to 1888. On the walls there are Chiascuro- style series of paintings called the 16 Prophets by Nicolás Javier Georibar, and the large canvas Hell and Final Judgment from 1879. During the colonial period, the church’s bell tower was the tallest structure in Quito at 150 feet tall, but was destroyed by an earthquake in 1858. The tower was a landmark, and the chimes marked the pace of life in the city. The tower was rebuilt within six years, but it was destroyed again shortly after. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22kw_SuklEE

     To read more about the Temple of La Compania de Jesus click here, here, here, here, here, or here

     Which specific pieces inside or outside of the Church are from Moorish design, and which are from Baroque influence?