If Arequipa’s cathedral seems too big, an interesting antidote (proving that small can be beautiful) is this diminutive Jesuit church on the southeast corner of the Plaza de Armas. The facade is an intricately carved masterpiece of the churrigueresque style (think baroque and then some – a style hatched in Spain in the 1660s). The equally detailed altar, completely covered in gold leaf, takes the style further and will be eerily familiar to anyone who has visited Seville cathedral in Spain.
To the left of the altar is the San Ignacio Chapel , with a polychrome cupola smothered in unusual jungle-like murals of tropical flowers, fruit and birds, among which mingle warriors and angels.
Next door, and accessed via Calle Santo Domingo, the beautiful, semi-outdoor shopping center Claustros de la Campañía continues the ornate theme.
