San Marcos de Arica Cathedral. Arica - CHILE

Direccion: calle Bolognesi 170

Arica was founded in 1541 and in the very day of its patron Saint Mark the Evangelist, which is called Villa San Marcos de Arica, was the founder Lucas Martínez Vegas. Chief in the area to the arrival of the Spaniards was Ariacca. The Spanish pronunciation simplified to "Arica". These populations to 1547 and was its first corregidor Francisco Rodriguez Almeida. Received the title of city of Philip II in 1570.

San Marcos Church, Arica present cathedral building was commissioned by the Peruvian President José Balta in 1871 to the workshop of Gustave Eifell in France, completing its construction in 1875. In those years Eifell workshops were important providers of public works in Latin America, and delivered buildings, bridges and all kinds of cast iron structures, mainly packed in crates that are shipped and then were armed at the destination.

Originally the church was bound to resort Peruvian Ancón, but the earthquake of 1868 completely destroyed the ancient Church of Arica and resolved its armed in the city of Arica, in replacement of the destroyed cathedral. Another important piece of Arica Eifell out of the workshops is the customs building (now House of Culture), which withstood two major earthquakes and perfectly even bricks have the mark of the workshops Eifell. Both buildings are characterized by their beautiful design and excellent quality of materials used.

It was declared a National Monument in 1984.