Santo Domingo Church is located in thesouthern corner of Quito’s Old Town, adjacent to the picturesque Santo DomingoPlaza. This intriguing construction combines the city’s Dominican and Italianheritages, having been influenced by both cultures. Admire its strikingarchitecture and its resplendent interior designs that are accompanied byartworks from Dominican masters.
Get a memorable photo of the church’sexterior in full from the adjacent plaza. Nearby, a statue of Ecuadorianindependence hero, Antonio José de Sucre, memorializes his successes. Hisstatue faces the distant Pichincha Volcano, the very site of his victory thatwon the country’s independence in 1822.
Note the church’s imperial tower, whichdisplays Baroque architectural detailing around a city clock. Within thechurch, neoclassical and Baroque altarpieces combine with Moorish-influenceddecorations. The awe-inspiring art collection of Santo Domingo Church islocated in the Lady of the Rosary chapel and the church museum. Spot fine works, including carvings, reliefs and frescos, from celebrated Quiteño artists. Ofparticular note is the famous sculpture of the Virgen del Rosario (Our Lady ofthe Rosary), which was drawn from the famed Quito School of Art.
Peruse the church’s cloister garden fora breathe of fresh air. From the priory’s upper floors, you’ll get more niceviews of the courtyard.
When you’ve finished exploring, returnto the Santa Domingo Plaza, which features lively acrobat, juggling and magicstreet performances on weekends. Return to the plaza after sunset and get aphoto of the church’s exterior, which is splendidly illuminated by yellowspotlights.
Find Santo Domingo Church directly southfrom Independence Square. The church is open daily, although it does close for a fewhours each afternoon. No admission is charged. Get there by trolleybus and stopat the on-site station. Alternatively, get there on foot from most areas of OldTown. Be sure to avoid the streets in the area at night, as pickpocketing ormugging is commonplace.
