Basilica of La Merced, Lima

The Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy stands on one of Lima's oldest streets, on the site where the first Mass in the newly founded city was said. The present church, rebuilt after earthquakes, is known for its elaborately carved stone facade in the colonial Baroque style and a lavishly decorated interior filled with gilded altarpieces. It venerates an image of the Virgin honoured as a patroness of Peru, and a silver cross associated with a local friar draws the devout.