BASILICA DE LA MERCED

The first church, built between 1549 and 1565, was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The present structure, in the neo-Renaissance style, was built between 1760 and 1763. Among its most interesting features are the eighteenth century Baroque choir, the Virgen de la Merced (Virgin of Mercy) on the main altar, which was donated to the church in 1548, and the Cristo de la Expiración (Christ of Expiation), which was donated by the Spanish King Felipe II. A small museum of religious objects and art includes a Rongorongo tablet, one of only 29 remaining in the world.