Sacred Architecture in the Calchaquí Valleys

San Pedro Nolasco Church in Molinos

Abstract

Religion, as a cultural expression of a community, was introduced as one of the first anthropological signs. It has accompanied the evolution of men across diverse cultural manifestations as part of men’s customs, beliefs and ways of life. One of these cultural manifestations is the sacred architecture, which represents physical worship spaces or spaces dedicated to prayer or meditation. Thus, the church in the Catholic worship is presented as a prominent representative milestone of the cultural identity within a region.  In the Argentinian Northwest, the route for communication and exchange between the Virreinato del Perú (Viceroyalty of Perú) and the Virreinato del Río de la Plata (Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata) was “El Camino del Inca” (Inca Trail), which  passed through the Puna and the Calchaquí Valleys, where the most ancient churches of the region were built. In these territories, the Church stands as a physical evidence of the evangelizing activity of the Spanish conquest plan–– gathering places for cultural declarations in its diverse forms. Another outstanding example of the sacred architecture in the Calchaquí Valleys is the San Pedro Nolasco Church –located in Molinos Town- described in this dissemination paper.

ARK: http://id.caicyt.gov.ar/ark:/s26840375/btp5rok0w