One of Lima’s most storied churches was part of a 17th-century shantytown inhabited by former slaves. One of them painted an image of the Crucifixion on a wall here. It survived the devastating earthquake of 1655 and a church was built around it (the painting serves as the centerpiece of the main altar) in the 1700s. The church has been rebuilt many times since but the wall endures.
On October 18 each year a representation of the mural, known as ‘El Señor de los Milagros’ (Christ of Miracles), is carried around in a tens-of-thousands-strong procession that lasts for days.
