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The Church of San Francisco (Iglesia de San Francisco) is the biggest and most beautiful church in Popayán. It’s located in the historic city center, two blocks west of Parque Caldas on Calle 4.
Overview of the Church of San Francisco
Officially the Church of Our Lady of the Graces of the Order of Friars Minor of Popayán (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Gracias de la Orden de Frailes Menores de Popayán), the original church on this site was built in the 16th century but was destroyed by a major earthquake in 1736. Construction on the current church began in 1765 and was completed in 1788 under the direction of Friar Antonio García. It’s considered one of the best examples of Baroque architecture in Colombia.
The church was heavily damaged in the earthquake of 1983. With help from the government of Spain, restoration efforts took 15 years, and the church eventually reopened in 1998. It was declared a National Monument of Colombia in 1996.
The church faces a small plaza with a monument to Camilo Torres (1766–1816), a leader of Neogranadine independence who was executed for treason against Spain.
Façade of the Church of San Francisco
The façade of the Church of San Francisco was built by Miguel Aguilón, who sculpted symbols of the Franciscan order along with stone statues of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, and the Virgin Mary.
The bell tower contains one of the largest bells in the Americas, the San Antonio. It was cast at the Popayán Mint in 1790, but it couldn’t be raised to the top of the tower until 1903.
Nave of the Church of San Francisco
The richly decorated church has a central nave with two aisles separated by stone arches. It features the largest collection of art of any church in Popayán, including sculptures from Italy, Spain, and the Quito school. After the 1983 earthquake, most works were moved to the Archdiocesan Museum of Religious Art for conservation.
Main Altar
The main altar features an altarpiece with Corinthian columns supporting the frieze and architrave, decorated with plant motifs. In the niche above, a semicircular pediment contains a painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Baroque gilded tabernacle was donated by Pedro Agustín de Valencia (1710–1788).
The main altar features an altarpiece with Corinthian columns supporting the frieze and architrave, decorated with plant motifs. In the niche above, a semicircular pediment contains a painting of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Baroque gilded tabernacle was donated by Pedro Agustín de Valencia (1710–1788).
Pulpit of the Church of San Francisco
The elaborate pulpit, one of the most interesting features of the church, was carved in wood around the 18th century. It’s considered the finest in Colombia.
At the bottom of the stairs is a figure of a woman holding a pineapple with a basket of fruit on her head. The railing is decorated with figures of birds, vines, flowers, and fruits. Niches contains saints of the Order of Friars Minor, and the top is crowned with a statue of a priest.
Side Altars and Chapels in the Church of San Francisco
The left aisle — the Nave of the Gospel — and the right aisle — the Nave of the Epistle — each contain a number of chapels and altars.
Altar of the Lord of the Coronation
On the left aisle, nearest the entrance and next to the side door, you’ll find the Altar of the Lord of the Coronation (Altar del Señor de la Coronación). It’s carved out of wood and covered in gold leaf. The canopy is crowned by a double-headed eagle, the symbol of Habsburg Spain.
The altarpiece consists of three columns on each side of the central niche, which holds an 18th-century carving of the Lord of the Coronation. It’s used during annual processions on Holy Thursday.
Altar of Our Lady of the Forsaken
Next is the Altar of Our Lady of the Forsaken (Altar de Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados), richly decorated with gilded plant and flower motifs. The central niche, flanked by two pairs of columns with Corinthian capitols, contains an image of the Virgin of the Forsaken. The upper niche contains no image.
Altar of St. Francis Xavier
Third is the Altar of St. Francis Xavier (Altar de San Francisco Javier). It’s unique in that the entire altarpiece is painted directly on the wall and consists only of the niche, altar, and base, with two shelves on the sides. At the top is a representation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus surrounded by clouds, with two religious figures kneeling in prayer. In the niche is an 18th-century image of St. Francis Xavier from the Quito school.
Altar of St. Joseph
To the right is the Altar of St. Joseph (Altar de San José). The altar has a pair of columns on each side of a central niche. In the niche is an 18th-century image of St. Joseph from the Quito school, while the small upper niche is empty.
Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua
At the end of the left aisle is the Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua (Capilla de San Antonio de Padua), financed by Pedro Agustín de Valencia, who’s also buried there along with many of his descendants. In the center is an 18th-century Spanish carving of St. Anthony, with St. Martin de Porres on the left and St. Roch on the right.
Altar of St. Francis of Assisi
At the beginning of the right aisle is the Altar of St. Francis of Assisi (Altar de San Francisco de Asís), intricately carved out of wood yet simple in decoration. Three Solomonic columns stand on each side of the central niche, supporting a canopy crowned with a double-headed eagle. In the niche is an 18th-century image of St. Francis of Assisi by Manuel Chili “Caspicara” (c. 1723–1796) of the Quito school.
Altar of St. Peter of Alcántara
Next is the Altar of St. Peter of Alcántara (Altar de San Pedro de Alcántara), which illustrates a transition between late Baroque and Neoclassical. The lower part consists of a base decorated with gilded plant and flower motifs. Two Corinthian columns on each side of the central niche support the cornice, which contains a small, empty niche. The 17th-century image in the central niche, made in Spain, depicts St. Peter of Alcántara. It’s attributed to Pedro de Mena (1628–1688).
Altar of the Lord of the Scourges
The Altar of the Lord of the Scourges (Altar del Señor de los Azotes) is third on the right aisle. It’s a Baroque work by a local artist, with an altar on the lower part and a triptych with a central niche as the altarpiece. The altar features gilded floral motifs on a red background with blue frames while the altarpiece contains three levels of double arches, creating a total of 12 small niches. In the central niche is an 18th-century figure of the Lord of the Scourges made in Pisa, Italy, and used during Holy Thursday processions. At the top is a painting of the Passion in a gold frame, depicting Christ carrying the cross with Simon of Cyrene and Our Lady of Sorrows behind him.
Niche of the Immaculate Conception
The Niche of the Immaculate Conception (Nicho de la Inmaculada Concepción) is a simple semicircular arch built directly into the wall. It contains an image of the Immaculate Conception made by an Ecuadorian artist in the 20th century. It’s a replica of a work by Alcides Montesdeoca (1930–2022), which is in turn a life-sized replica of the Immaculate Virgin of the Apocalypse, an 18th-century work made by Bernardo de Legarda (c. 1700–1773) for the city of Popayán. Legarda’s sculpture is on display in the Archdiocesan Museum of Religious Art.
Chapel of Calvary
The Chapel of Calvary (Capilla del Calvario) is at the end of the right aisle. It features a Baroque altarpiece with a large niche flanked by Corinthian columns. The frieze contains gilded and multicolored motifs with a Christogram in the center. In the niche is a sculpture of the crucified Christ, possibly made in Spain in the 18th century, with Our Lady of Sorrows and St. John at his side.
On the wall to the right is a painting of Our Lady of Miracles (Nuestra Señora de los Milagros), which was kept in the town of Almaguer, Cauca, from 1619 to 2010.
Franciscan Monastery
The Church of San Francisco originally belonged to the Monastery of the Franciscan Order (Monasterio de la Orden Franciscana), which is attached to the west side. It has since been converted into the Hotel Dann Monasterio.
The monastery was the largest and oldest in the city, dating back to at least 1570, when the Franciscans arrived in Popayán from Quito. The founder and first prior was Joos de Rijcke (1498–1578), also known as Jodoco Ricke, the Flemish friar who pioneered the Quito school of art.
Construction began in 1574, resulting in a two-story cloister surrounded by arched colonnades and a stone fountain in the center. The monastery became a mission school in 1703 named Our Lady of Graces (Nuestra Señora de las Gracias) and was seriously damaged by an earthquake on February 2, 1736, which completely destroyed the chapel. Pedro Agustín de Valencia donated large parcels of his property to rebuild and expand the complex, including construction of the current church.
The Franciscans controlled the monastery until they were expelled from Colombia in 1863. In 1894, architect Adolfo Dueñas (1845–1909) added an ornate stone archway in front of Calle 4. The Departmental Assembly of Cauca (Asamblea Departamental del Cauca) occupied the complex until 1945, when it was converted into a hotel.
Hernando Gonzáles was charged with the project, demolishing the aforementioned archway and replacing it with the current Neocolonial façade. He also redecorated the interior. These structural enhancements protected the complex from the earthquake of 1983, which caused only minor damage that was quickly repaired.
