Basilica and Monastery of San Francisco in Salta

One of the sights of the Salta architectural ensemble is the basilica and monastery of San Francisco. Perhaps the basilica is the most famous site in the city.

The basilica and the Franciscan Monastery are located near Plaza 9 de Julio. It is an architectural ensemble built in the Spanish colonial style.

As it usually happens, workers were building churches on the site three times. They demolished the first church because of mistakes made during the construction. The second one burned down in a fire in the 18th century. After that, the building of a new cathedral started. 

Vicente Muoz was leading the process of construction. He was a priest and architect, so he had already had a successful experience. It is surprising, but the San Francisco Cathedral in Salta was building for a hundred years. A hundred years!

The cathedral has a long history: several fires, the Jesuits and their expulsion from Argentina, mistakes during construction, death of the chief architect, war, and economic downturn. And finally, in 1857, the construction was completed. After eight years, Ugolino Kingolari built the San Francisco Monastery. The final touch was the construction of the bell tower. Workers erected it in 1877, and it became the highest one in South America - 54 meters.

This sacred building has ivory and terracotta colors and is decorated with complex ornaments. The main facade is constructed in Italian style. The central building is decorated with garlands, flowers, inscriptions, and shields. The interior is elegant and subtle.  There is a precious marble table, made in 1789 in Cadiz (Spain) just for Basilica y Convento de San Francisco.