Metropolitan Cathedral of Lima
The Cathedral Basilica of Lima dominates the eastern side of the Plaza Mayor in the historic heart of the Peruvian capital, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its first stone was laid by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, the year he founded the city, and the cathedral grew over more than a century into a grand statement of Spanish colonial power and faith, completed in 1649.
Repeatedly damaged and rebuilt after the earthquakes that have shaken Lima over the centuries, the cathedral blends Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical elements behind its twin towers and richly carved main portal. Inside, finely worked wooden choir stalls, a series of side chapels, and a museum of religious art await, while a mosaic-lined chapel holds the remains of Pizarro himself.
Seat of the Archdiocese of Lima, the cathedral is both an active place of worship and a centerpiece of the city's monumental colonial core. It draws visitors to its plaza-front facade, its art treasures, and the tomb of the founder, set amid one of the best-preserved historic centers in the Americas.
- Location
- -12.0469, -77.0297
- Local time
- 17:37 (America/Lima)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Fri | 09:00–17:00 |
| Sat | 10:00–13:00 |
| Sun | Closed |
Sunday open for mass (~11:00) only, not tourist visits
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Toribio de Mogrovejo Saint
Dedicated chapel; second Archbishop of Lima, his relics and vestments are enshrined here
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Rose of Lima Saint
First saint of the Americas, depicted in the Chapel of Peruvian Saints
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Martín de Porres Saint
Peruvian saint imaged in the Chapel of Peruvian Saints
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John Macías Saint
Peruvian saint (Juan Masías) imaged in the Chapel of Peruvian Saints
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Francisco Solano Saint
Peruvian saint imaged in the Chapel of Peruvian Saints
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Emilio Lissón Blessed
27th Archbishop of Lima, his tomb is in the Chapel of Peruvian Saints (cause for beatification open)
Care & donations
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima
Charges admission for the cathedral and museum; accepts donations
Official website →The candle wall
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17:37
Tap an empty holder to light your own candle · €2.00 · hover a flame to see its intention