The 16 curious wooden churches of southern Chile

Adriana Bello - published on 06/17/23

A tradition and architectural style that began with the evangelization of the Jesuits and today is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site

The Chilean south is famous for its wonderful landscapes, but in the middle of nature, specifically in the Chiloé archipelago, 16 wooden churches were erected that were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in April 2000 for their unique architecture.

The Jesuits were the first religious to arrive on these islands in the 17th century to evangelize the population and they created a system called “Circular Mission.” This consisted of going through different areas on foot and erecting chapels of European inspiration in terms of design, but built by the Chilotes themselves, who used local materials and construction techniques that they knew, which were basically the same ones they used to make their boats.

Although the Jesuits were expelled in 1767, the Franciscans largely maintained the architectural style for more than three centuries (rectangular building, gabled or three-pitched roof, façade with false arches, a bell tower, etc.). The style went down in history with the name of Chilota School of religious architecture in wood (that’s why you will see that many of them look alike).

More than 100 churches of this type were built throughout Chiloé. However, due to time, weather conditions and the type of construction, many of them did not survive. Seeing that there was a serious danger that they would all disappear and all this historical tradition (both religious and architectural) would be lost, they were declared a National Monument to preserve them.

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More:
https://aleteia.org/2023/06/17/the-16-curious-wooden-churches-of-southern-chile/