Iglesia y Museo de San Lorenzo de Carangas


The ornate mestizo baroque portal of this church, probably one of the most photographed in Bolivia, is an explicit expression of the mezcla (mixture) between Aymará and Spanish Catholic beliefs. Check out the bas-reliefs of a guitar-playing indigenous mermaid and a sword-carrying Archangel San Miguel. It was carved in stone by master indigenous artisans in the 16th century, but the main structure wasn’t completed until the bell towers were added in 1744.

Inside are two Melchor Pérez de Holguín paintings and handcrafted silverwork on the altar.

The church was renovated in 1987.


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