Basilica and Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Merced, Lima

Basilica y Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Merced
Facade
Location	Lima
Country	Peru
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Membership	Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy (Mercedarians)
History
Founded	1535
Dedication	Virgin of Mercy
Architecture
Style	Churrigueresque
Completed	1765

The Minor Basilica and Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Merced is a church in Lima, Lima Region, Peru. It is designed in the Baroque style known as Churrigueresque.

It was originally built by Friar Miguel de Orenes in 1535, taken by the holder to the Archangel Michael.

In the Basilica, the Patroness of the Peruvian Armed Forces is venerated.

The Mercedarians not only evangelized the region but also managed the development of the city by building many of the notable churches that today are preserved.^[1]

Location

The Basilica and Convent of Nuestra Señora de la Merced is located at the junction of block 6 of Jirón de la Unión (Calle La Merced) with the first block of the jirón Antonio Miró Quesada (Calle Jesús Nazareno), in the historic center of Lima.

History

Basílica and convent of Nuestra Señora de la Merced in the 19th century

Drawing of the portal, circa 1891.

Its churrigueresque portal

Interior

As old as the city of Lima are the convent and the church of Nuestra Señora de la Merced. According to ancient chronicles, it is established that the lands where the Convent and the Church are built already belonged to the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy. It happens that on April 13 of 1534, the captain Francisco de Becerra donated this plot, plus six thousand pesos to the Convent of la Natividad de Nuestra Señora, who later received the name of the Convent of la Madre de Dios de la Merced. In the crypt of the preparatory, next to the sacristy, are the tombs of this captain with his wife. The Mercedarians is one of the religious orders that came to catechize the conquered peoples of Peru. A year before Francisco Pizarro, they settle in this place, while the founder of Lima was at Cusco and Jauja. The first church was made of wood; the current one is the second, made of adobe and brick, Its baroque portal was carved in 1591 by Cristóbal Gómez.

In 1589, three years after the first great earthquake that struck the nascent city, Alonso de Morales attached to the church a square tower, considered the first that adorned colonial Lima.

Three years later the architect Cristobal Gómez remade the primitive cloister that in 1600 adorns Francisco de Morales, taking as a model that existing in the convent of Santo Domingo.

And in 1608 a new reconstruction of the church was begun, that was of a single nave, extending it with two collateral naves, introducing in the Liman architecture the basilical plant of three open naves with a wide croisser.

This was achieved by piercing with arches the median walls of the old niches chapels and covering them with half domes with lanterns in their summit.

This transformation of the primitive Isabelline style church, of a single nave with lateral chapels, into a church of three naves and great croisser, totally transformed the interior of the church.^[1]

Giving him the originality that from then on the other conventual churches of Lima also adopted, in turn to spread the new architectural concept towards other churches of South America.

Before its last transformation the church was adorned with many works of art, among which the arch and portal of the former chapel of la cofradía de Nuestra Señora de Agua Santa, follwing the style of Juan Gómez de Mora.^[1]

The sculpture of two high varas (approximately 1.67 m) of the Virgin of Mercy carved in 1603 by the Sevillian sculptor Martín Alonso de Mesa and the canvas of 9 by 5 varas painted, in May 1600, for the refectory of the convent by Angelino Medoro.^[1]

The two earthquake-destroyer of 1609 and 1687 delayed the work of the extension of the temple, which was resumed on January 5, 1613, when the alarms Alonso de Arenas and Andrés de Espinoza hired the construction of the main chapel, two side chapels and the transept.

In 1696 is constructed the beautiful stone portal that until today adorns this church.

Between the earthquakes of 1687 and the one of 1746, that again destroys great part of the church and the convent, the following important works are realized: the altarpiece of the Virgin of the Remedies done in 1702 by Juan Rojas.^[1]

As of August 30, 1714, Friar Miguel Adame paints four evangelists for the chapel of Jesus Nazarene, while assembler and gilder Juan José Ramírez Capitán makes his gilded.

And in 1739 the engraver Juan Francisco Rosa makes the statue of the Lord of Help. Meanwhile in 1730 the Virgin of Mercy is declared "Patroness of the Fields of Lima" and taken out for the first time in procession.^[1]

The reconstruction of the church and the convent, after the earthquake of 1746, was a slow process that almost completely covered the second half of the 18th century.

With the aggravating fact that on April 24, 1775 a devastating fire took place that reduced to ashes the sacristy and part of the church.

The most important reconstruction works that subsist today were realized in the following dates: between 1759 and 1762 the tower, the beautiful main staircase and the interior balconies; between 1762 and 1765 the portal of Cristóbal Caballero, were reconstructed.^[1]

Between 1765 and 1768 some dome ornaments and the sacristy; in 1774 the library; in 1775 the rebuilt sacristy; between 1777 and 1780 the second floor of the main cloister; between 1781 and 1786 the portería, the altars of the main cloister and began the preparation of the canvases of the life of St. Peter Nolasco that adorn the main cloister.

And between 1786 and 1798 the altars of the Virgin of the Costume, St. Raymond Nonnatus and Jesus Nazarene, and the Chapter Hall were made.

Thirteen of the paintings, on the life of the founder of the order, which adorn the main cloister already mentioned were made between 1783 and 1792 by the painter Julián Jayo, under the direction of Friar Gabriel García Cabello.^[1]

In 1786 Juan de Mata Coronado paints one and from 1792 the painter Julián Falte does the others.

During that same period the bells are made that until today continue announcing the most important religious rites of the church.^[1]

In 1757 the founder Francisco de León carried the inscription "Be blessed and praised the Sacred Heart of Jesus", in 1775 the founder Pedro Mexía made the "San José" and in 1787 the founder of Lima Calero, who resided in Maravillas , makes the big bell of 1.56 mts. of diameter.

Before the proclamation of Independence of Peru, the notable introducer in Lima of Neoclassicism, the presbyter Matías Maestro, totally rebuilds the altarpiece that in 1810 will be gilded by the painter Felix Batlle.^[1]

In 1860 the architect Guillermo D'Coudry restored the church.

But at early-20th century the facade of the basilica of La Merced, including its magnificent portal, will be covered with a thick layer of plaster to give it an aspect of French architecture that the church never had. This was a deck in which was behind the churrigueresque portal and facade. This makeup was fortunately removed in 1940 by Emilio Harth-Terr.^[1]

Reredos and the Virgin of Mercy

A side reredos

A side reredos and azulejos

In the interior preserves reredos of diverse styles, sculptures and paintings considered jewels of the viceregal art. The altarpiece is less ornate than the others, completely fire-gilded. In the central part, the effigy of the Virgin of Mercy stands out, which since 1615 was invoked as the "heavenly protector of the city". In 1730 the Cabildo named her "Perpetual Patroness of the Fields of Lima", following her intercession against the sterility of the fields. In the Republican time she was named patroness of the Arms of Peru by the Constituent Congress in 1823. On the occasion of the celebrations of the 1st Centenary of the Independence of Peru, the privilege of the Canonical Coronation of this venerated effige was requested, taking place on September 24 of 1921, under the patronage of the President of the Republic, Augusto Leguía and of the Duchess of Goyeneche, before a crowd of faithful and members of the Armed Forces who paid tribute to their Patron, giving her the honorable mention of Gran Mariscala (Great Marshal).

The virgin carries in her hands the shackles and scapular of her Order, as well as a gold scepter and the highest military decorations, as well as other distinctions that demonstrate the great devotion to Mary. This image comes out in procession on September 24, escorted and carried by the cadets of the Peruvian Armed Forces and numerous public.

The altar of the Holy Christ of Help, statue made by Juan Martínez Montañés and whose reliefs are attributed to Martín Alonso de Mesa, keeps the legend of the conversations of this Christ with Father Urraca. This say that on one occasion his brother lay brother Sebastían de la Cruz and Ayala, who was in charge of attending to its worship, he saw how to unclasp its hand, gave him a blessing. The remains of Father Urraca, are buried at the foot of the altar of communion. Before the cross where he made penance, located at the entrance of the church, for three centuries people kneel with religious fervor to this venerable friar to beg for a miracle.

Further information

The façade is a finished sample of the Liman Churrigueresque style and in its central part the venerated statue of the Virgin of Mercy appears in a niche, around which others are arranged.

The convent currently has three cloisters:

The main cloister is large, with altars in the corners have baseboards with azulejos.

The cloister of the Doctors, called that for the series of reliefs in which are depicted several Mercedarians who were professors of the University of San Marcos. Also in this cloister the College of the Virgin of Mercy operated from its beginnings in 1917 to 1972.

A third cloister, called that of the Novitiate.

The main cloister and cloister of the Doctors are separated by a monumental staircase that has a dome on top.

In the library besides the incunable and religious books very old; there is the chair where the Friar Pedro Urraca sat, furniture that has become a relic. In the sacristy is the famous Cross of the Conquest brought by the Mercedarians.

Stone carving

In the Basílica y convento de la Merced there are niches that keep the statue depicting the Lord of Huanca, that of the Lord of Cachuy among other regional invocations of Jesus Crucified.

Friar Urraca

Friar Pedro Urraca was born in Villa de Jadraque in Aragon, Spain, in 1583, he came from Spain when he was 19 and destiny decided his vocation. Legend say that the ship in which he was traveling was on the verge of being shipwrecked due to the presence of a great storm that endangered the lives of the crew; then Pedro Urraca offered his life to the Virgin if he managed to save the crew and himself; Suddenly the sea settled down, and the ship continued on to Quito with all tranquility. Pedro Urraca began his novitiate in that city. From that place they sent him to Peru. During his life he wear cilice and iron chains on the body to do penance. After thirty years it was embedded in the flesh producing deep sores; the doctor withdrew him by order of the confessor. After many years he returned to Spain, where he became Spiritual Director of the Queen Elisabeth of France, cosort of King Philip IV of Spain. Although he was asked to stay at the Court, he preferred to return to Lima where he died on August 7 of 1657 at 74 years of age. His remains are located on the floor of the church, in the nave of the epistle, there is an inscription in which it reads: "In this place and under the earth rests the body of the Servant of God Friar Pedro Urraca de the Holy Trinity". His cause for Beatification began in Rome on April 29 of 1682. His heroic virtues were proclaimed on January 31 of 1981 and he was declared Venerable by the then Pope John Paul II.

References

Bibliography

• Collection “Documental del Perú”, Lima Region, Volume XV, Third Edition, April 1973, LA MERCED. Levanta su monumental portada de granito en pleno centro de Lima, pages 42-43.

• "ITINERARIOS DE LIMA" by Héctor Velarde, Patronage of Lima, Second Edition, 1990, Iglesia y Convento de La Merced, pages 53-55.

• "GUIDE TO PERU", Handbook for travelers, 6th. Edition, by Gonzalo de Reparaz Ruiz, publisher Ediciones de Arte Rep, Lima - Peru, Book published in English by the Tourism Promotion Fund of Peru - FOPTUR, LA MERCED. (Church and Convent of), pages 93-95.

Coordinates: 12°02′54″S 77°01′58″W / 12.0483°S 77.0327°W / -12.0483; -77.0327