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Description
Church of Saint Francis in the city of Salta (Argentina).
In 1582 Brother Bartholomew de las Casas took possession of the block that Hernando de Lerma had distributed to the Franciscans, when he founded the city on such place.
In 1759, Brother Vicente Munoz began the construction of a new temple, of which the founding stone is inlayed in the first column of the Convent’s cloister that ended up being almost completely destroyed by a fire in 1761. In 1767 the temple was restored to suffer another fire in 1772.
The reconstruction works finalized in 1796, when Brother Vicente Munoz was no longer alive.
The arrival of Italian Franciscans to Salta, gave a new drive to the embellishment of the church, and thus the façade, standing out today from both the church and convent, was re-built between 1868 and 1882 by the Franciscan architect Luis Giorgi with a main body exceedingly decorated with garlands, flowers, inscriptions, coats of arms, and blind windows; and the 70m-tall tower, the tallest in South America, by Francisco Righetti.
This tower was made with 4 superimposed constructions that lighten up on their way up, finished off at the top.
The strong background in terracotta tones, on which the embossed ivory stands out, is an Italian fashion of the mid 19th century, which replaced the Spanish white in the city of Salta.
An original detail is the theatrical staging of the fake curtains, made in stucco in each of the three entrance arches.
A tunnel vault covers the unique narrow and long aisle. The walls are of stone, and thick double bricks.
The interior ornamentation is from the second half of the 19th century, being the main altarpiece and the lateral ones designed by Brother Luis Godoy.
The cloister is found at the south of the church, it has two stories and is connected with the prestigious Franciscan Library.
The temple is famous, not only because of its architecture, but also for having been sung in it the Te Deum after the Battle of Salta, by both winners and defeated. A bell, called “of the fatherland”, because it was melted with the bronze of the cannons employed in the battle, and having the caption “Long live the Fatherland: Year 1813”, is kept in the belfry.
On July 14, 1941, both the church and the Convent of Saint Francis were declared Historical National Monuments.

Description
Church of Saint Francis in the city of Salta (Argentina).
In 1582 Brother Bartholomew de las Casas took possession of the block that Hernando de Lerma had distributed to the Franciscans, when he founded the city on such place.
In 1759, Brother Vicente Munoz began the construction of a new temple, of which the founding stone is inlayed in the first column of the Convent’s cloister that ended up being almost completely destroyed by a fire in 1761. In 1767 the temple was restored to suffer another fire in 1772.
The reconstruction works finalized in 1796, when Brother Vicente Munoz was no longer alive.
The arrival of Italian Franciscans to Salta, gave a new drive to the embellishment of the church, and thus the façade, standing out today from both the church and convent, was re-built between 1868 and 1882 by the Franciscan architect Luis Giorgi with a main body exceedingly decorated with garlands, flowers, inscriptions, coats of arms, and blind windows; and the 70m-tall tower, the tallest in South America, by Francisco Righetti.
This tower was made with 4 superimposed constructions that lighten up on their way up, finished off at the top.
The strong background in terracotta tones, on which the embossed ivory stands out, is an Italian fashion of the mid 19th century, which replaced the Spanish white in the city of Salta.
An original detail is the theatrical staging of the fake curtains, made in stucco in each of the three entrance arches.
A tunnel vault covers the unique narrow and long aisle. The walls are of stone, and thick double bricks.
The interior ornamentation is from the second half of the 19th century, being the main altarpiece and the lateral ones designed by Brother Luis Godoy.
The cloister is found at the south of the church, it has two stories and is connected with the prestigious Franciscan Library.
The temple is famous, not only because of its architecture, but also for having been sung in it the Te Deum after the Battle of Salta, by both winners and defeated. A bell, called “of the fatherland”, because it was melted with the bronze of the cannons employed in the battle, and having the caption “Long live the Fatherland: Year 1813”, is kept in the belfry.
On July 14, 1941, both the church and the Convent of Saint Francis were declared Historical National Monuments.