Wooden Churches of Chiloé

Churches of Chiloé,
Chile

Made entirely of native timber on an island with harsh weather conditions, the wooden Churches of Chiloé pay testament to the skills of the Jesuit missionaries and the indigenous people and the successful fusion of the two cultures.

Originally there were some 300 wooden churches built on the island. Nowadays there are about 70 wooden churches remaining at Chiloé, most of which are close to the coastline with foundations of stone.

Different wooden churches were used for different celebrations, the bigger churches were for more important and bigger festivities.

The wooden churches of Chiloé are listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.