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Churches of Chiloé
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How it came to be
The Churches of Chiloé are sixteen wooden churches on the Chiloé Archipelago in southern Chile. Jesuits arrived in 1608 and began a circular mission, which the Franciscans continued in the 18th and 19th centuries. The churches were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, while the islands still belonged to the Spanish Crown.
They are made entirely of local timber and clad in wooden shingles. Their construction draws on boat-building techniques, and they stand on rises where sailors could see them. They are seen as the fullest expression of the mestizo culture that blended European and Indigenous traditions. The sixteen inscribed churches include Achao, Castro, Chonchi, Dalcahue and Caguach.
The churches were declared National Monuments of Chile in 1970. In March 2002 a storm brought down the tower of the church at Chonchi, showing that conservation needs were greater than had been thought. Since 2003 a programme supported by the Inter-American Development Bank has repaired the most serious damage, especially to towers and façades. The churches were inscribed in 2000.
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