The Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa ("Basílica Catedral", in Spanish) is located in the "Plaza de Armas

Plaza de Armas

The Plaza de Armas is the name for the main square in many Latin American cities. In Mexico this space is known as El Zócalo, and in Central America as Parque Central...

" of the city of Arequipa

Arequipa

Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...

, province of Arequipa, Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

. It is the most important Catholic church of the city and also of the larger Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Arequipa since it is the base of the Archbishop and the Metropolitan Council. The cathedral is also considered one of Peru's most unusual and famous colonial cathedrals since the Spanish conquest.

Timeline

August 15, 1540: This is the date in which the city was founded by Garcí Manuel de Carbajal

Garcí Manuel de Carbajal

Don Garcí Manuel de Carbajal was a Spanish lieutenant and occasional soldier who founded the city of Arequipa in Peru on August 15, 1540, calling it "La Villa Hermosa de Arequipa." Carbajal was born in Placencia, Extremadura, Spain and explored present-day Arequipa as an emissary of Spanish...

. The Cathedral started construction on this very date. In the "Act of Foundation" of Arequipa, it can be read: "...in the name of its majesty Governor Francisco Pizarro

Francisco Pizarro

Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...

, founded the beautiful village in the valley of Arequipa, in the Collasuyo section, above the river edge, in his name he put the cross, in the location signaled for the Church; He put the pike in the Plaza of the village, which he stated would do in the name of its majesty..."

February 14, 1544: The representatives of the Council, Justice and Directorate of the city signed a contract with the architect Pedro Godínez, then regent of the city and commander of San Juan Bautista de Characato, and the carpenters Juan Rodríguez y Gregorio Álvarez to build the church.

September, 1544: Miguel Cornejo, the Mayor of the City, assigned the building of the portal to the master Toribio de Alcaraz, who agreed to build it using white petrified volcanic lava (sillar

Sillar

Sillar is a whitish volcanic stone from which many colonial buildings in the city of Arequipa, Peru, are made. A fine example are the Arcs of the "Mirador of Yanahuara" in Arequipa, from which the entire city can be appreciated....

). The church is built with 2 main sections.

January 22, 1583: An earthquake reduced the church to rubble.

1590: It is decided to rebuild again the main church, and this is assigned to Gaspar Báez, who is helped by several Spanish officials and many hundreds of "Mitayo" Indians. The new design would have 3 sections, arcs and vaults of brick.

February 1600: When construction was almost finished, the violent eruption of the Huaynaputina

Huaynaputina

Huaynaputina is a stratovolcano located in a volcanic upland in southern Peru. The volcano does not have an identifiable mountain profile, but instead has the form of a large volcanic crater. It has produced high-potassium andesite and dacite...

 stratovolcano

Stratovolcano

A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...

 (also known as Quinistaquillas or Omate), together with several earthquakes and a rain of ash, destroyed part of the structure.

1604: Another earthquake completely destroyed what was remaining of the structure.

1609: The Bula of Pope Paul V created the Arequipa Diocese, separating it from the one in Cuzco

Cusco

Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...

. The Arequipan Catholics had become impoverished since the Volcano eruption, but decided to rebuild the Cathedral.

January 27, 1621: Mr. Andrés de Espinoza was assigned the construction of the Cathedral.

1628: Espinoza died.

1656: The construction of the Cathedral was finished. It had 3 sections, 180 feet long by 84 feet wide (84.86 m by 25.6 m), 8 pillars, 5 chapels, 22 arcs, 15 brick vaults.

1666: Earthquake. Some damage, but no structural damage. Reconstruction started immediately.

1668: Earthquake. Some damage, but no structural damage. Reconstruction started immediately.