The Basilica and Maximus Convent of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, popularly
known as the Convent of Santo Domingo (or Convent of the Holy Rosary), is a
Catholic religious complex located in the city of Lima, Peru.
It was created in the 1530s under the patronage of Our Lady of the Rosary and
is located in the Historic Centre of Lima.
It houses the relics of Rose of Lima and Martin de Porres.
And it was also where the University of San Marcos, officially the first
Peruvian university and the oldest university in the Americas, began to
function in the 16th century.
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Exterior of the church
The exterior of the church was originally covered by bossage, as can be
seen still at the base of the bell tower.
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A primitive portal, two bodies and three streets, was carved in the
second half of the 17th century.
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In later years a new portal would rise because of the earthquakes that
destroyed the church.
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The church was restored after the Earthquake of Lima and Callao of
1940, that supposed the application of cement in the walls.
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Bell tower
The first bell tower of the church, of baroque style and three bodies,
was designed together with the church by Diego Maroto in the second half
of the 17th century and was destroyed during the earthquake of 28 of
October 1746.
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The present bell tower was conceived and designed by the Viceroy
Manuel d'Amat y Junyent in 1766 in the Rococo style, being in the
bottom of octagonal form.
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It is divided into a lower body and two tall bodies with small
balconies on corbels.
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At the top is the sculpture of a figure holding a trumpet,
representing the angel who announces the Final Judgment.
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The total height is 46 m (151 ft), and is considered one of the most
characteristic elements of the religious complex.
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The base of the bell tower still preserves the bossage that once
covered the facade of the first church.
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See also
Source
Location
