| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 Church facade | |
| Location | Caguach, Quinchao, Chiloé Province, Los Lagos Region, Chile |
| Part of | Churches of Chiloé |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii) |
| Reference | 971-016 |
| Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
| Coordinates | 42°30′37″S 73°15′58″W / 42.5103°S 73.2660°W |
  Location of Church of Caguach in Chiloé  Church of Caguach (Los Lagos)  Church of Caguach (Chile) | |
The Iglesia de Caguach (in English, Church of Caguach) is a Catholic church located on the island of Caguach, in the commune of Quinchao on the Chiloé Archipelago, southern Chile.
The Church of Caguach was declared a National Monument of Chile in 2000[1] and is one of the 16 Churches of Chiloé that were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites on 30 November 2000.[2]
In 1919, the original Church of Caguach was destroyed completely by a fire, and rebuilt in 1925 by local inhabitants using wood, the material used in the original structure. This was the third church built in Caguach.[3]
Its patron saint is Jesus of Nazareth, also the patron saint of the Church of Aldachildo, whose feast day is celebrated on August 30 and also on the third Sunday of January.[4] This is the most important religious holiday of the Chiloé Archipelago, having been established originally in 1778 and encouraged by Spanish Franciscan missionary Fray Hilario Martínez,[5] and the Church of Caguach forms the center of festivities, which involve music, dancing and processions.[6][7] The image carried during the festivities represents Jesus during the Passion as he carries the cross, dressed in a purple robe and wearing a crown of thorns.
- ^ Retrieved 26 February 2013.
- ^ World Heritage Committee Inscribes 61 New Sites on World Heritage List. whc.unesco.org. November 30, 2000. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
- ^ Iglesias tradicionales de Chiloé. Monumentos.cl. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
- ^ Iglesias tradicionales de Chiloé. Monumentos.cl. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
- ^ Iglesias tradicionales de Chiloé. Monumentos.cl. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
- ^ Fieles de la Isla Grande de Chiloé celebrarán la Fiesta del Cristo Nazareno de Caguach. Biobio.cl. 18 August 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
- ^ Archipiélago Chiloé: El encanto de una isla misteriosa. Editorial Kactus. p.37