Church of La Concepción

La Concepción’s tower marks the skyline of old Santa Cruz. Raised in 1786, it identifies a church whose history reaches back to the early years following the Castilian conquest. The present building does not belong to a single moment: a fire in 1652 forced reconstruction, and successive enlargements eventually produced five aisles. Changing religious needs, contributions and building campaigns explain its appearance. Highlights include the Carta family chapel and the early image of the Virgin of Consolation. Notice the contrast between pale walls, dark stone and the bell tower. Around the church, beside the Santos ravine and La Noria, the streets retain the scale of the port settlement from which today’s capital developed over the centuries.