San Francisco Monastery & Catacombs

Basílica y Convento de San Francisco

A 17th-century baroque monastery whose library holds 25,000 rare books and whose underground catacombs contain roughly 70,000 skeletons. It is Lima's most striking church visit.

The San Francisco Monastery was built in 1673 and is Lima's best-preserved colonial religious complex. Its yellow façade and Moorish-style carved wooden ceiling are instantly recognizable. Visits must follow a museum guide. Spanish- and English-language tours leave roughly every 20 to 30 minutes and last about 40 minutes. The route passes the cloister's Sevillian tiles, a 17th-century Last Supper painting (where the table holds guinea pigs and chilies), and the library, which houses 25,000 rare volumes and a 1571 atlas. Finally, you enter the underground catacombs. Before 1808, this was Lima's public cemetery, where about 70,000 people were buried. Skulls and thighbones are arranged in geometric patterns within round pits. The lighting is dim and the passages are low, so those prone to claustrophobia should be cautious. Admission is about 20 soles for adults, covering both the monastery and the catacombs, while the church itself is free. It lies two blocks northeast of Plaza Mayor, at the corner of Jirón Lampa and Ancash Street, and can be walked together with other old-town sights. Notes: photography is prohibited inside, including in the catacombs. Pigeons are plentiful in the square in front of the church, and vendors selling corn kernels are nearby. If possible, avoid the Sunday Mass times.

San Francisco Monastery & Catacombs

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