Las Nazarenas

The Sanctuary of Las Nazarenas (Iglesia de las Nazarenas) is the focal point of Lima's Lord of Miracles, a massive October festival in which purple-clad revelers parade down Lima's main streets carrying the Cristo Moreno. Visit the church on your own or as part of a half-day guided tour that also includes stops at the Church and Sanctuary of Saint Rose of Lima and the Monastery of Santo Domingo, where two saints are buried. Other tours take visitors to attractions outside the historic center, such as the Larco Herrera Museum, which houses art and artifacts dating back 3,000 years.

Lima's Church of the Nazarenas, located several blocks east of the Plaza de Armas, has a unique history. This was once a poor neighborhood of freed black slaves, and an ex-slave painted a mural of the Crucifixion of Christ on a wall in the middle of what was little more than a shanty town.

An earthquake in 1655 leveled most of this area but left the wall standing. The locals saw this as a miracle, and the Iglesia de Las Nazarenas was built around the image, which was known as El Seor de los Milagros. This wall, which stands behind the altar, now has an oil replica mounted on it. Every October 18, the painting is paraded through the streets as part of the El Seor de los Milagros Festival, accompanied by a procession of thousands.

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Address: Jr. Huancavelica 515, Lima 15001, Peru
Phone: +51 1 4235718
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