The single square block at the heart of colonial Córdoba where the Jesuits built their church, their residence, the university they founded in 1613, and the Colegio Nacional de Monserrat. The complex is the most complete surviving colonial Jesuit ensemble in South America and the reason Córdoba's old town is on the UNESCO list.
The Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús, started in 1645, has a remarkable cedar-and-cypress vaulted ceiling built by a Belgian Jesuit who modelled it on inverted ship hulls, since stone vaulting was beyond local craftsmen. The Domestic Chapel next door is smaller but equally lovely. Guided tours in Spanish and English visit the historic library and lecture rooms of the old university.