Iglesia San Blas - Rich in Colonial History
Iglesia San Blas church sat abandoned for many years. You wouldn't suspect that a rich colonial history encircles it. It's just that for many years, the derelicts hung out in its plaza, making it very disagreeable for tourism. Very little art graces the walls here, even though it pre-dates other urban parishes established in Quito in 1568. The marble altar displays an exquisite tabernacle. The first chapel building that served the parish in 1573 began as a temporary thatch roof hut with earthen walls serving the indigenous. What you see of the architecture dates well into the 17th century with traditional materials of adobe, stone and wood. The stone facade faces the Hermano Miguel trolley stop where Guayaquil, Pichincha and Montufar streets meet. Mass takes place only on Sundays.
The people of the parish immerse themselves joyously in festivities that involve the colonial center. Iglesia San Blas continues to thrive since the colonial era up to the present, although it humbly doesn't sport the colonial "look".
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