[ Dec.2015 ] We popped in to the Metropolitan Cathedral in Santiago in Chile.
It was a gorgeous church like a palace, which was too good to look at it quickly (we did not have much time, though).
They started building it in 1748 and completed in 1800.
Before this one, there used to be a smaller cathedral, but because of many earthquakes, they needed to rebuild a new one.
The main architect to complete this church was an Italian called Joaquin Toesca who was invited by the bishop in 1780.
He built other important buildings in Chile, too.
His wife is even more interesting.
He married a local woman, Manuela, in 1782.
But soon she started a relationship with one of his apprentices and tried to kill Toesca by putting some poison on asparagus.
This attempt was discovered and she was sent to a convent, but she tried to escape from it many times apparently.
She is a symbol of hot blooded South American women, isn’t she.
By the way, this cathedral is facing a square called Plaza de Armas. One of the other buildings facing this square which is as gorgeous as the cathedral is a post office.
