La Merced has the most lavish interior of any church in Sucre — and given the competition that is saying something. The single nave is lined with carved and gilded altarpieces from the 17th and early 18th centuries, several of them attributed to the great mestizo carver Sebastián Acostopa. The high altar, dripping with gold leaf and crowned with mirrored panels, was paid for by the silver wealth of nearby Potosí and looks it.
The bell tower can sometimes be climbed for another good rooftop view of the city, though hours are erratic. The church is on the corner of Pérez and Azurduy, two short blocks from Plaza 25 de Mayo. Visit in the early morning when the eastern light catches the gilding; it is one of the most dazzling sights in the city.