Basílica de San Pedro

About Basílica de San Pedro

📜 History

The history of the Basilica and Convent of San Pedro begins in 1568, the year the Jesuits arrived in Peru and were provisionally hosted by the Dominicans. That same year, a first temple of modest dimensions was built on a plot of land 150 feet wide by 30 feet deep. On June 30, 1569, a second building was inaugurated on the site now occupied by the Capilla de la Penitenciaría. The current structure, the third on that site, was consecrated in 1638 in a ceremony presided over by the Viceroy Conde de Chinchón, attended by 160 priests of the Society of Jesus. The design followed the model of the Church of the Gesù in Rome, and the plans were brought by Father Nicolás Durán Mastrilli when he was appointed the first rector of the Colegio Máximo de San Pablo de Lima. In 1972, Peru declared it a Cultural Heritage of the Nation, and in 1991 it became part of the Historic Center of Lima, recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO with reference number 500. The Society of Jesus has administered the temple continuously since its foundation.

🏛️ Architecture

The facade of the temple corresponds to a neoclassical composition with stone portals and a high stone base, while the interior exhibits fully baroque features. The construction was overseen by Brother Martín de Aizpitiarte, S.J., following the design of the Church of the Gesù in Rome as a direct reference. The floor plan is organized into three naves separated by pilasters with cornices of triglyphs and metopes. The vaults and walls were built with brick joined with lime mortar, a technique that gave the building notable structural strength. A dome crowns the transept; above it appears the Latin inscription 'Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam, et portae inferi non praevalebunt adversus eam.' The complex features ten side chapels ornamented with carved altarpieces, oil paintings, and tile coverings. In the choir, a large pipe organ is preserved. Beneath the temple floor extend crypts and catacombs. Three entrance doors provide access to the building; the main one usually remains open, while the side ones are opened during Holy Week and solemn celebrations. The Jesuit artist Bernardo Bitti contributed significantly to the interior decoration of the complex.

⭐ Key Facts

The Basilica and Convent of San Pedro occupies a central place in the religious life of Lima. The Society of Jesus, which has administered it since the 16th century, designated it the National Sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a title that defines its principal devotion. Since 1878, a procession of the Sacred Heart has been held annually on the last Sunday of June, a tradition that maintains a continuity of almost a century and a half. The temple safeguards bells of historical value: the one called 'Agustina,' popularly known as 'Abuelita,' is considered the oldest in Peru, and the one called 'Grande' weighs 100 quintals. Between 2001 and the following years, the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional financed the restoration of notable altarpieces, including those of San Francisco de Borja and San Ignacio de Loyola. The building is part of the Historic Center of Lima, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991, a distinction that has increased its international visibility. At the national level, its declaration as Cultural Heritage of the Nation dates from 1972. Its location three blocks from the Plaza de Armas makes it a constant reference for those who traverse the historic heart of the Peruvian capital.

The temple is located on the fourth block of Jirón Azángaro, at the corner with Jirón Ucayali, three blocks from the Plaza de Armas of Lima. The main door remains open for those who wish to visit the ten side chapels, the underground crypts, the pipe organ in the choir, and the altarpieces that synthesize five centuries of Lima's religious art. The visit allows one to closely understand the influence of the Society of Jesus on the architecture and devotion of the Viceroyalty of Peru.

✍️ Curated by María del Carmen Salazar · Last updated: 2026-04-06
Information verified by the EncuentraIglesias editorial team