Churches of Chiloé

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Unique Architectural Gems: The Churches of Chiloé

The Churches of Chiloé, located in the Chiloé Archipelago off the coast of southwestern Chile, stand as a testament to the harmonious blend of indigenous and European cultures. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, these wooden structures represent a distinctive architectural style that has persisted for over four centuries.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The Churches of Chiloé represent a unique example in Latin America of an outstanding form of ecclesiastical wooden architecture. They represent a tradition initiated by the Jesuit Peripatetic Mission in the 17th and 18th centuries, continued and enriched by the Franciscans during the 19th century and still prevailing today. These churches embody the intangible richness of the Chiloé Archipelago, and bear witness to a successful fusion of indigenous and European culture, the full integration of its architecture in the landscape and environment, as well as to the spiritual values of the communities.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (ii): The churches of Chiloé are outstanding examples of the successful fusion of European and indigenous cultural traditions to produce a unique form of wooden architecture.

Criterion (iii): The mestizo culture resulting from Jesuit missionary activities in the 17th and 18th centuries has survived intact in the Chiloé archipelago, and achieves its highest expression in the outstanding wooden churches.

Encyclopedia Record: Churches of Chiloé

The Churches of Chiloé in Chile's Chiloé Archipelago are a unique architectural phenomenon in the Americas and one of the most prominent styles of Chilotan architecture. Unlike classical Spanish colonial architecture, the churches of Chiloé are made entirely in native timber with extensive use of wood shingles. The churches were built from materials to resist the Chiloé Archipelago's humid and rainy oceanic climate.

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