Cathedral of Arequipa, Arequipa (must see)

The only cathedral in Peru to stretch the length of the plaza it is situated on, The Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa is the most important place of worship in the city. The original structure dates back to the mid-17th century. Although there were some modifications made after the cathedral suffered from a fire and an earthquake, it still looks beautiful and tells a fascinating story about the significance of religion in the colonial era.

The interior of the cathedral is spacious and simply decorated. The high altar and twelve columns symbolizing the twelve apostles are made from Italian marble. The magnificent, large Byzantine candelabra lamp hanging above the altar was brought here from Spain. The huge organ imported from Belgium at the end of the 19th century is said to have been the largest organ ever brought to South America.

Inside the cathedral there is a museum where you can visit four rooms: two belong to The Treasures of the Cathedral - it contains crowns and religious pieces of ancient goldsmithing -, another to Ornaments and Cloths and the last, to Religious Paintings.