Thirteen magnificent temples, built under the clearest sky of the planet, gave La Serena unprecedented fame and the name of the "city of churches". All of them were built in different styles and different historical periods. And each of them deserves special attention and is worthy of admiration.

Today even churches have their own "rating". Thus, the main Catholic church in La Serena is the Cathedral of Our Lady of Mercy, located in the central square of Plaza de Armas. The largest cathedral in the city and one of the largest in the entire country was built in 1844 by the famous French architect Juan Heritage. It is a part of an architectural complex and an important church of the Archdiocese of the province of La Serena.

Previously, the old Catholic church was on the site of the modern cathedral. It was built by the Spanish conquerors in 1544 before the foundation of the city. It was a one-nave structure 50 meters long and 10 meters wide with a single low tower. The interior was equally modest: it consisted of 7 simple altars. Unfortunately, pirates frequently attacked La Serena. So on one of those sad days, the temple was almost completely burned. Locals tried to restore the building several times until it was decided to build a new cathedral.

The modern cathedral is 60 meters long and 20 meters wide. It is built in a neoclassical style. The main structure consists of three naves and one tall tower, built in 1912 by another French architect and engineer Eugène Joannon Crozier. The wooden roof of the temple is galvanized with metal. And the black-and-white marble floor is made in the form of a chessboard. The magnificent 7-meter stained glass windows were brought from France. Besides, some of the materials used in the construction of the cathedral were from the first monastery of La Serena.

The interior is represented by six altars: the two central ones were made of marble, and the four side ones were wooden. On the ceiling of the cathedral, you can see unfinished paintings and bas-reliefs. They seem to hint at the continuation of history.