La iglesia La Merced fue construida en el siglo 16, pero
fue en gran parte destruida en el terremoto de 1660. Los
cimientos del edificio actual, de estilo barroco, no se establecieron hasta 1701. La torre fue terminada en 1736,
y la iglesia fue consagrada en 1747.
T
he Basilica de la Merced is replaced by the square of the
same name . And the best view of the temple is from
that side : the great white canvas on the porch of the
quadrangular stone tower as strong and solid , with Arabic air
in the upper body and top , the central dome , airy , and the four
small domes with lantern on the canvas. Very personal set of great
beauty.
The gateway has unique stone frame : overlapping niches pilasters , capitals with bearded heads above the lintel and the sun
and moon, so expensive for Indian masons . Only in 1701 the
foundations of the present church was laid, they demolished the
previous , heavily damaged by the earthquake of 1660. The tower
was completed in 1736, and in 1747 the dedication of the church
was made.
The altarpiece was ordered to do by Bernardo de Legarda in 1751
. The same tribunes of the presbytery that the four doctors of the
church that adorn the pendentives of the dome, are the work of
master Uriaco .
In the central niche of the main altar is the Virgen de las Mercedes
, which Sucre surrendered his sword victor at the Battle of Pichincha. It is a stone statue , life size , stewed . When the eruptions of
Pichincha, Quito’s being brought out in procession.
There are several paintings in the church, the fourteen Stations of
the Cross , by the Jewish Pinta, and several paintings by Victor
Mideros . The main cloister of the church of La Merced is one of
the most attractive in Quito, with stone pillars and dazzling -white
pasadisos and a wide stone patio with a magnificent carved stone
fountain in the center, with a figure Neptune . There are several in
the hallways painted corner of the cloister . In the upper cloister
is a series of paintings depicting the life of Sto . Francis Xavier ,
which was painted by the great Jesuit teacher , Brother Hernando
de la Cruz.
Iglesia La Merced Quito EcuadorEn the cloister , one can enter the
library, which is one of the most beautiful places in the new world
, with its two floors and walls covered with old books or jumping
on parchment with gold spines cubrierto . The Museum is to be
found in the second cloister, with priority cell decorated apparently by Manuel Samaniego. There are also paintings by Miguel
de Santiago , Nicolas Gorábar , Bernardo Rodriguez and Manuel
Samaniego and many curious gems.
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