English
Inside the Great Northern heritage route is the church of San Francisco de Chiu Chiu, declared a National Monument in 1951. Chiu Chiu is located 33 km. east of Calama and emerged as an important center in the pre-hispanic period. It was the capital of Atacama la Baja, as the river basin was called, or “Cuenca” of the Loa river. It was a necessary step for those who walked the Inca Trail and the route between Potosi and Cobija. After the arrival of the Spanish it became the missionary center of the valley.
This church dates from the mid seventeenth century. Its base has the form of a Latin cross, and the ship measures 27 m long and is 5 m wide. The thick walls are made of adobe and are 1.2 meters thick. The roof was assembled with a mixture of Chañar, Algarrobo and cactae, with no nails but with leather ropes instead, it was placed on a thick covering of mud and straw.
The towers were restored in 1965 since the original stone collapsed.
The widening of the outer walls is layered and provides access to the towers to appreciate the mud that forms the ceiling. A perimeter wall is formed around the church yard that was used as a cemetery. These tombs seem detached from the main structure and are of extraordinary beauty.
Definitely this church is one of the treasures of the north of Chile and certainly is a great destination to visit on a day tour from San Pedro.
