Current Watch Site

Dotted across the plains of northern Chile are 30 churches that embody the convergence of indigenous Andean culture with European colonial influences. In the mid-16th century, conquerors from Spain arrived in the region and constructed churches in which Spanish architecture and faith were merged with local construction techniques and traditions. Each adobe church is a small architectural complex of nave, bell tower, vestibule, bells, and Stations of the Cross.

These churches reflect the traditions of art and faith in their local communities, and have remained predominately intact due to their rural locations. However, ever since the free port of Arica was built in the 1960s, there has been steady emigration toward urban centers in search of work. Local traditions and materials for maintenance are being replaced by inappropriate modern repair, and loss of population has diminished the workforce available for caring for the churches. A proposal for regional capacity building, site maintenance, and community training has been developed, in order to document the churches, strengthen local constituencies and opportunities, and renew the value of these adobe structures.