Iglesia de San Francisco

The Iglesia de San Francisco, also known as el San Francisco, one of the most beautiful historical sites in Ecuador, is a Catholic basilica located in Quito's historic center, in front of the same-named square. The edifice is the largest architectural complex inside South America's historic centers, earning it the nickname "El Escorial of the New World." San Francisco is regarded as a pearl of continental architecture due to its eclectic blend of styles spanning more than 150 years of construction. The UNESCO World Heritage Site "City of Quito" includes San Francisco.

Thirteen cloisters (six of them of remarkable scale), three temples, and a massive Atrium have been created on the site's three and a half hectares, totaling nearly 40,000 square meters of work. There are currently a variety of activities taking place there, including consensual and religious services, public health, communication, education, and other activities of a popular nature that keep the facility busy.

More than 3,500 works of colonial art, in a variety of artistic forms and techniques, are housed within the church, particularly those associated with the Colonial Quito School of Art, which was founded here. It also boasts a Franciscan library, which was rated as the best in the Viceroyalty of Peru in the 17th century.

The complex is preceded by the Plaza de San Francisco, which has served as a popular market, a site for military and political concentrations, as well as a meeting place for social amusement for years. The concave-convex staircase connecting the square to the Atrium, which displays the main building's Mannerist-Baroque facade, is regarded as a significant architectural feature in Colonial America.

Location: Quito, Ecuador