Achao is a town on the

Chiloé Archipelago The Chiloé Archipelago ( es, Archipiélago de Chiloé, , ) is a group of islands lying off the coast of Chile, in the Los Lagos Region. It is separated from mainland Chile by the Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and t ...

, in the south of

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. The town is the capital of

Quinchao Quinchao is a Chilean commune located in Chiloé Province, Los Lagos Region. The seat of government lies in the town of Achao on the island. Geography The commune of Quinchao includes most of the Quinchao Island (sharing its territory with the co ...

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

on the

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

of the same name. Lying on level ground, Achao has a shallow sandy beach and is surrounded by hills. Opposite the town are the islands of Llingua and Linlín. The surrounding hills have a number of lookouts, such as the Alto de la Paloma lookout. Achao is the main Chiloé town off the main island of Chiloé and is therefore frequented by inhabitants of the smaller islands making up the archipelago, who go to Achao for school or commercial activities. In the summer, Achao is host to the Chiloé folklore festival (''Encuentro de las Islas del Archipiélago''), celebrating traditional culture on the Chiloé archipelago with customs, music and food. The architecture in Achao is known for the wide variety of

larch Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus ''Larix'', of the family Pinaceae (subfamily Laricoideae). Growing from tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains furt ...

tiling used on the roofs of its houses.

Church of Achao

In front of the Achao plaza is the

Church of Santa María de Loreto, Achao The Church of Santa María de Loreto de Achao ( es, Iglesia de Santa María de Loreto de Achao) is a Roman Catholic church located in Quinchao Island's largest town, Achao. Often referred to as «Church of Achao» — es, Iglesia de Achao—, is w ...

— es, Iglesia de Santa María de Loreto de Achao— one of the 16

Churches of Chiloé The Churches of Chiloé in Chile's Chiloé Archipelago are a unique architectural phenomenon in the Americas and one of the most prominent styles of Chilota architecture. Unlike classical Spanish colonial architecture, the churches of Chiloé are m ...

that were declared Chilean National Monuments in 1979 and

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

s on 30 November 2000. The Church of Achao is the oldest wooden church in Chile, and this church and the

Church of Quinchao The Iglesia de Quinchao (Church of Quinchao) is located in the village of Quinchao, in the Chiloé Province, Los Lagos Region, Chile. It is one of the main stops on a pilgrimage path on Chiloé. It is one of the 16 Churches of Chiloé, a UNESCO W ...

are the only churches that remain of those built by the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

. Construction began around 1740 when the

was still a part of the Spanish Crown possessions, and was completed in 1770 by

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

missionaries from Santa Rosa de Ocopa school in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

following the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767.Rodrigo A. Moreno J
"Chiloé Archipelago and the Jesuits: The geographic environment of the mission in the XVII and XVIII centuries"
]. in Spanish. MAGALLANIA (Chile), 2011. Vol. 39(2):47-55. The church forms a part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Carlos de Ancud, Diocese of Ancud.

References

External links

Tourist portal for Quinchao Island (Spanish)
{{coord, 42, 28, S, 73, 31, W, display=title, region:CL_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Populated places in Chiloé Populated places in Chiloé Province

Church of Achao

See also

References

External links