San Francisco museum
The temple of San Francisco of Quito is the religious construction of greater extension in the region. There 4 thousand objects are lodged, between sculptures, linen cloths and furniture. The most beautiful convent of America. With 3.5 hectares, San Francisco is an impressive structure. From 1983 the International has been taken part by the Spanish Agency of Cooperation and the Institute of Cultural Patrimony. In 1996 a sector of the temple for the San Francisco museum adapted. And today in this place 250 works are exhibited, of authors like Miguel of Santiago, Caspicara and Legarda. The museum Fray Pedro Gocial with hundreds of colonial pieces was inaugurated. There are three allegories that have with magic to San Francisco, temple founded by Fray Jodoco Ricke on 1535.
One says that there, in pre-Columbian times, a center of commercial interchange between the dominions worked. Also one talks about, from the Colony, that Felipe II of Spain showed itself to the windows of the Dump to see the cupolas of the Quito temple and to comment the face that him was being the work. And, finally, towards 1600 the mythical Cantuña is the center of a architectonic-demonic feat when attributing him to it, popularly, the construction of the vestibule.
The good thing is that until now it lacks a stone, in one of the bajantes of water of the perrons: for that reason its soul not yet has been caught by Satan. But the legend is single one of their wealth. The same construction represents a feat, because the plant of the convent must overcome the pronounced inclination of the skirts of the Pichincha. And already in their interior, the gold of the incario and the talent of craftsmen of the Quito School register the stamp that turns to the place unique.. Near 4 thousand works, between sculptures, linen cloths, painting mural, adorned with caissons and furniture, are distributed by an area of 3.5 hectares, with a central temple, two main chapels, three cloisters, an abbey, an orchard and a nostalgic brewery.
From 1983, the Spanish Agency of Cooperation the International and the Institute of Cultural Patrimony work in the integral recovery of the complex. At the moment a 50 percent with a considered cost of USD 1 200 000 has advanced. At the moment 20 Ecuadorian technicians make workings of restoration and conservation. Thus, thousand objects of art have recovered. 250 of them are exhibited from 1996 in two galleries that adapted for the Museum of San Francisco.
The route begins by the choir of the church, a precious cockpit with capacity for 61 friars, crossed by two organs German and decorated by an exquisite one adorned with caissons of style to mudéjar, compound of 4,600 wood pieces, in whose center there is a peculiar star of eight ends.
From this site it is descended to the rooms of exhibition, where works of Miguel of Santiago (like emblematic "the Immaculate Eucaristía"), Diego de Robles are appraised, the Father Carlos, Manuel Chili "Caspicara", Bernardine of Legarda, Gregorio de Vásquez, Mateo Mejia, engravings German of century XVIII and a map of South America painted in 1775. The end of the visit is towards the North end of the convent, in the old brewery created by the friars in 1566. In his room of welcome there is a tavern and in the later one it is the gallery and the instruments with which the drink was prepared.
Address: Cuenca 477 and Sucre in La Plaza de San Francisco
Open: Monday - Saturday from 09h00 to 18h00; Sunday from 09h00 to 13h00
Telephone: 228 1124, 228 2545
