Project
CHILOÉ CHURCHES
- WMF Program:Field Project, 1996 Watch
- Keywords:chapels, churches, World Heritage Site
- Period of Significance:17th–20th centuries
- Site Types:Sacred
At least 150 wooden churches once stood on the Chiloé archipelago, a group of islands off the coast of central Chile. After the country was colonized by the Spain in the 16th century, Christian missionaries arrived to evangelize the local Huilliches and Chonos populations. The Jesuits moved from place to place on Chiloé Island, the largest on the archipelago, and established a new chapel about once a year between 1608 and 1767. The churches were situated along the coast to guide sailors around the contours of the island, and the 60 that remain today still perform this function.
All were constructed with wood—even the fasteners and other typically metal components—most likely because it was abundant in the region. The indigenous peoples and Jesuits labored together to build the chapels, which exhibit a combination of Spanish and local motifs as a result. Mountains to the north shelter the churches but they are still pelted with rain and rocked by earthquakes. Three hundred years after construction and without communities to care for many of them, the Chiloé churches were deteriorating.
Because of heavy rainfall, high humidity, fires, and infestation that threatened to further damage the structures, WMF placed the Chiloé Churches on the Watch list in 1996. In March 2002, nine of the churches were damaged by a violent storm. The Chilean government and the Inter-American Development Bank financed a community-based tourism project to encourage sustainable tourism, upgrade infrastructure, and increase environmental protection.
WMF supplemented this project by providing funding to the Friends of the Churches of Chiloé for specific projects, including restoration work on three World Heritage churches: Tenaún, Vilupulli, and San Juan. In addition, the Immaculate Conception Convent was renovated to house a materials bank, a documentation center, and a carpentry school in order to train the local population and ensure the long-term success of conservation.
The Chiloé Churches have been called the most significant group of wooden structures in all of Latin America. The wooden arches and towered porticoes of the chapels demonstrate the union of Jesuit and native aesthetics, the architecture of a mestizo culture still present today.
Much of the restoration work was performed by trained volunteers from the local population in the tradition of minga, or community service. Conservation of the churches and the development of sustainable tourism can help provide economic stimulus to the region and improve the lives of its people.







