San Pedro Claver Cathedral

The San Pedro Claver Cathedral is a church located in Cartagena de Indias, in Colombia. This church and its convent are located in the Plaza de San Pedro Claver.

The church is part of a set of religious buildings that is complemented by the Cloister of San Pedro Claver and the archaeological museum. It was built between 1580 and 1654, under the parameters of colonial constructions. Originally known as the church of San Juan de Dios, it has been called the church of San Ignacio de Loyola since 1622 and is now known as San Pedro Claver.

San Pedro Claver Church is possibly Cartagena’s neatest example of colonial architecture.  It and its accompanying museum can be visited, and it is one of the can’t miss things in Cartagena.  Here I’ll be giving you a complete visitor guide to San Pedro Claver Church.  Read on to learn about its history, what to see, and what you need to know on a visit.

The San Pedro Claver Church was constructed by the Jesuits.

Construction of the church and its cloisters took place from 1580 to 1654.  The church was originally named in honor of the founder of the Jesuit order, San Ignacio de Loyola.  The exterior was made from stone from nearby Tierrabomba Island.

In addition to the church, the cloisters housed a school and convent (where the museum is housed today).  After the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spanish territory in 1767, the cloisters were used for a variety of purposes.