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

Church of Rilán
UNESCO World Heritage Site
LocationRilán, Castro, Chiloé Island, Chiloé Province, Los Lagos Region, Chile
Part ofChurches of Chiloé
CriteriaCultural: (ii), (iii)
Reference971-004
Inscription2000 (24th Session)
Area0.7 ha (1.7 acres)
Coordinates42°31′11″S 73°37′43″W / 42.5196°S 73.6286°W / -42.5196; -73.6286
Church of Rilán is located in Chiloé
Church of Rilán
Location of Church of Rilán in Chiloé
Church of Rilán is located in Los Lagos
Church of Rilán
Church of Rilán (Los Lagos)
Church of Rilán is located in Chile
Church of Rilán
Church of Rilán (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

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Church facade.

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]

See also

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References

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