Iglesia de la Matriz del Salvador

The oldest parish of Valparaíso, La Matriz stands in the historic lower town near the port, marking the founding core of the city. The present neoclassical church, rebuilt in the mid-nineteenth century after earlier structures were destroyed, occupies a site of worship dating to the sixteenth century. Its bell tower rises above the surrounding old quarter of narrow streets and weathered houses. The church anchors one of the port's original neighborhoods within the UNESCO-listed historic center.