Church of Rilán

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The Church of St Mary, Rilán or simply Church of Rilán— Spanish: Iglesia de Santa María, Rilán— is a Catholic church located in the town of Rilán, commune of Castro, on the Chiloé Archipelago, southern Chile.

The Church of Rilán was declared a National Monument of Chile in 1971[1] and is one of the 16 Churches of Chiloé that were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites on 30 November 2000.[2]

The patron saint of the Church of St Mary, Rilán is Our Lady of Lourdes, whose feast day is celebrated on February 11.[3]

This church leads one of the 24 parishes that form the Diocese of Ancud.[4]

History

The history of the church dates back to 1658, when Rilán was a settlement for indigenous communities.[5]

The current church was built early in the 19th century from coigue and cypress wood and is lined with alerce, cypress and mañio. It was declared a National Monument of Chile in 1979 and UNESCO World Heritage Site on 30 November 2000.[6]

References

  1. 1.Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  2. 2.World Heritage Committee Inscribes 61 New Sites on World Heritage List. whc.unesco.org. November 30, 2000. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  3. 3.Iglesias Tradicionales de Chiloé. Monumentos.cl. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  4. 4.Diócesis de San Carlos de Ancud. Iglesia.cl. In Spanish. Retrieved 6 January 2013.
  5. 5.Editorial Kactus. Chiloé Archipelago: The enchanting island of mystery. p.35.
  6. 6.World Heritage Committee Inscribes 61 New Sites on World Heritage List. whc.unesco.org. November 30, 2000. Retrieved 6 January 2013.