When you are in Quito, do not miss the opportunity of visiting the Santo Domingo Church, Quito. The Santo Domingo Church, Quito has quite a glorious history. The Dominicans came to Quito in the year 1541 but the construction of this church which is the most brilliant example of Dominican architecture began in the year 1580. The architect was Francisco Becerra who was of Spanish origin. The church was completed in the first half of the seventeenth century.
Beside the Santo Domingo Church, Quito, you would find a separate chapel which is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. In later years, Our Lady of the Rosary became an important one among the city's Guilds. You would find that both the church and the chapel are finely decorated with altar pieces, statues and paintings.
The most striking remains of the early decorations of the church are the mudéjar styled wall facings which have withstood the wrath of time. The chapel of the Rosary has an exuberant rococo altar piece which is decorated with golden figures. They look beautiful against the scarlet background. You would also find columns with intricate designs of leaves, various animals and inanimate objects. All these make the chapel, one of the most beautiful places in Quito.
You can also see the carvings and paintings of Fray Pedro Bedón in the chapel. There is also an oil painting of St. Nicholas of Tolentino. The best painting is however that of the relief of the blessed Reginald receiving the Dominican scapulary from the hand of the Virgin. The whole thing is sculpted in gold polychrome.
In the Dominican Museum, you would find some of the sculptures of Diego de Robles that he made for this church of Quito. These include the figures of St. Pius V and St Antony of Florence. Both of these were created for the choir. The other treasures of the Dominican Church of Quito are the works done by renowned Quito sculptors. These include the figure of Santo Domingo de Guzmán which was built by Padre Carlos, St Thomas Aquinas by Legarda and San Juan de Dios by Caspicara. Other sculptures are the nativity scene and The Madonna and Child with a Virgin of mixed race. The other piece of work worth watching is the Virgin of the Dawn.
All these sculptors make it worth paying a visit to the Santo Domingo Church, Quito.
| Tourist Attractions in Quito |
| Alameda Park, Quito |
Alberto Mena Caamano Museum, Quito |
| Capilla del Hombre (Chapel of Mankind), Quito La Plaza de la Independencia, Quito |
Casa de la Cultura, Quito |
| Convent of San Diego, Quito |
Cotopaxi Volcano, Quito |
| El Centro Cultural Metropolitano, Quito |
El Sagrario Church, Quito |
| Eloy Alfaro Military School Museum, Quito |
Fundacion Guayasamin, Quito |
| Guapulo Church, Quito |
Guayllabamba Zoo, Quito |
| Half of the World, Quito |
House of Benalcazar Museum, Quito |
| House of Sucre Museum, Quito |
Jacinto Jijon y Caamano Museum, Quito |
| La Carolina Park, Quito |
La Catedral church, Quito |
| La Merced Church, Quito |
Museo de la ciudad, Quito |
| San Agustin Church, Quito |
San Francisco Church, Quito |
| San Francisco Museum, Quito |
Santo Domingo Church, Quito |
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