Church Of La Compañía, Arequipa on:
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The Church of La Compañía is one of the many churches located in the Historic Center of
On August 17, 1578, based on 20,000 ducats donated by Diego Fernández Hidalgo, the construction of the Jesuit College of Arequipa began. The church only began to rise in the year 1595. It was under the direction of brother Felipe and was completed in 1698.
As in other buildings in the city, the material for its construction comes from the tuff quarries of Arequipa. The physical properties of this volcanic rock make it a very easy stone to carve, but it makes carving difficult in depth due to its porous texture. This gave rise to the development of a type of superficial decoration that, as in the case of La Compañía church, goes beyond the limits of the portal and partially covers the rest of the wall, forming a large stone tapestry.
The side portal was built in 1654, and the main facade built in 1698, show carved flowers, spirals, birds and algels with indian and white faces, it has a polichromed cupola and 66 canvases from
It has a Latin cross floor plan and consists of three naves, deep side chapels, a croissing and a dome on pendentives. The temple and the façade, like the rest of the colonial monuments in the city of Arequipa, are made of 
Of the rest of the building, it is worth highlighting the side portal and the two cloisters, also covered by a rich stone decoration.
File:Iglesia de la Compañía, Arequipa.jpg, Facade
File:Arequipa Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus.jpg, Main portal
File:PMa PE 067 Arequipa.jpg, The dome
File:PMa PE 066 Arequipa.jpg, The ornate
The Church of La Compañía is one of the many churches located in the Historic Center of Arequipa
Arequipa (; Aymara and qu, Ariqipa) is a city and capital of province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated city ...
. It is located between the Portal de la Municipalidad and the Portal de Flores. Temple erected by the Society of Jesus
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
in the 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 ...
vian city of Arequipa, it is one of the most outstanding examples of the so-called Andean Baroque
Andean Baroque (Spanish: ''Barroco andino'' or ''arquitectura mestiza'') is an artistic movement that appeared in colonial Peru between 1680 and 1780. It is located geographically between Arequipa and Lake Titicaca in what is now Peru, where rul ...
.
Inside the temple you can see carved wooden altarpieces covered with gold leaf. In the sacristy is the Chapel of San Ignacio, with polychrome murals showing tropical flora and fauna. The cloisters were built in the 18th century.
This is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa".
History
On August 17, 1578, based on 20,000 ducats donated by Diego Fernández Hidalgo, the construction of the Jesuit College of Arequipa began. The church only began to rise in the year 1595. It was under the direction of brother Felipe and was completed in 1698.
As in other buildings in the city, the material for its construction comes from the tuff quarries of Arequipa. The physical properties of this volcanic rock make it a very easy stone to carve, but it makes carving difficult in depth due to its porous texture. This gave rise to the development of a type of superficial decoration that, as in the case of La Compañía church, goes beyond the limits of the portal and partially covers the rest of the wall, forming a large stone tapestry.
The side portal was built in 1654, and the main facade built in 1698, show carved flowers, spirals, birds and algels with indian and white faces, it has a polichromed cupola and 66 canvases from Cusco School
The Cusco School (''Escuela cuzqueña'') or Cuzco School, was a Roman Catholic artistic tradition based in Cusco, Peru (the former capital of the Inca Empire) during the Colonial period, in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. It was not limited to ...
, including original 17th century oil paintings by Bernardo Bitti
Democrito Bernardo Bitti (1548–1610) was an Italian Jesuit priest and painter. He introduced Mannerism to Peru, where he went on a Jesuit mission after having studied in Rome. On his way to Peru, Bitti traveled through Spain, where he became ...
.
The vaults of this church were not completed until 1690. According to a chronicler of the colony that "the layout of the church is very good and very repaired of stirrups against earthquakes".
The expatriation of 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 ...
from Arequipa took place on September 17, 1767.
Architecture
It has a Latin cross floor plan and consists of three naves, deep side chapels, a croissing and a dome on pendentives. The temple and the façade, like the rest of the colonial monuments in the city of Arequipa, are made of tuff
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...
stone, which is porous, very white, very easy to carve and the one that is best suited for ornamental work.
The main facade, in Andean Baroque
Andean Baroque (Spanish: ''Barroco andino'' or ''arquitectura mestiza'') is an artistic movement that appeared in colonial Peru between 1680 and 1780. It is located geographically between Arequipa and Lake Titicaca in what is now Peru, where rul ...
style, stands out as one of the masterpieces —head of the series— of South American colonial decoration. It is distinguished by treating the relief on the surface and not in depth. The main facade of the church was rebuilt in 1698 after an earthquake.
Although it belongs to the second half of the 17th century, its influence extends throughout the 18th century, not only in Arequipa, but also in the Peruvian territory. The novelty that begins with this planiform decoration is to use native American elements, plants, animals and resurrected subjects from pre-Columbian mythology mixed with European motifs, which cover the façade with true horror of emptiness.
Inside, the main altar stands out, one of the most beautiful in Arequipa, which boasts in the central part one of the best paintings, "The Virgin with the Child", by the Italian painter Bernardo Bitti
Democrito Bernardo Bitti (1548–1610) was an Italian Jesuit priest and painter. He introduced Mannerism to Peru, where he went on a Jesuit mission after having studied in Rome. On his way to Peru, Bitti traveled through Spain, where he became ...
, who arrived in Peru in 1575.
A pulpit
A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, access ...
elaborately carved in fine wood overgilded in gold leaf, shows a fine carving that looks like gold filigree, on the sill and the tornavoz.
The high altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paganis ...
in baroque style is monumental, all in gold leaf. In its niches it houses images of saints such as St. Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spain, Spanish Catholic ...
, founder of the Company, St. Francis Borgia
Francis Borgia ( ca-valencia, Francesc de Borja; es, Francisco de Borja; 28 October 1510 – 30 September 1572) was a Spanish Jesuit priest. The great-grandson of Pope Alexander VI, he was Duke of Gandía and a grandee of Spain. After th ...
, Duke of Gandia and Grandee of Spain. On this altar there is also an image of the heart of Jesus.
The dome
A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...
of the Church of La Compañia is one of the most beautiful Arequipa creations. On a square floor, the tholobate rises with small lighting windows on the axes, on which the conise is curved; in the angles, on the pendentives, the typical counterpoint pinnacles take the form of small temples with oblique domed cupolas reproduce on a smaller scale, in the finials crowned by pyramidal pinnacles. The semicircular dome has a geometric decoration reminiscent of the Low Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
.
Of the rest of the building, it is worth highlighting the side portal and the two cloisters, also covered by a rich stone decoration.
Gallery
sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
The sacristy is usually located ...
File:Arcs del Claustre de l'església convent de la Compañia de Jesús d'Arequipa.jpg, Archs of the cloister
File:Detall dels Arcs gravats del Claustre de l'església convent de la Compañia de Jesús d'Arequipa.jpg, Detail of the archs of the cloister
File:Cristo Ressuscitado.jpg, ''Resurrected Christ'' (1603) by Bernardo Bitti
Democrito Bernardo Bitti (1548–1610) was an Italian Jesuit priest and painter. He introduced Mannerism to Peru, where he went on a Jesuit mission after having studied in Rome. On his way to Peru, Bitti traveled through Spain, where he became ...
. Preserved in Church of La Compañía.
File:Virgen-con-el-Niño.jpg, ''Virgin with the Child'' (1603) by Bernardo Bitti
Democrito Bernardo Bitti (1548–1610) was an Italian Jesuit priest and painter. He introduced Mannerism to Peru, where he went on a Jesuit mission after having studied in Rome. On his way to Peru, Bitti traveled through Spain, where he became ...
. Preserved in Church of La Compañía.
See also
*List of colonial buildings in Arequipa
This is a list of the preserved important buildings in the city of Arequipa, in Peru.
Arequipa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed as "Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa".
List
See also
*
References
{{reflist
Buildings and st ...
References
{{Coord, 16, 24, 00, S, 71, 32, 12, W, display=title Roman Catholic churches in Arequipa Roman Catholic churches completed in 1698 1578 establishments in the Spanish Empire Andean Baroque architecture in Peru Jesuit churches es:Iglesia de la Compañía (Arequipa)