San Francisco is the oldest church in Sucre, founded in 1540 only two years after the city itself. The current building dates mostly from the 17th century, with a Mudéjar-influenced wooden ceiling that is among the finest in Bolivia — carved geometric patterns running the full length of the nave, painted in muted ochre and red. Outside, the bell tower carries the Campana de la Libertad, the bell that was rung on 25 May 1809 to announce the uprising against Spanish authority, considered the first major declaration of independence in South America.
The cloister contains a small collection of colonial art and the cell of the Franciscan reformer Antonio Vieira. The church is a short walk west of the central plaza and is usually open in the morning and late afternoon, with mass times in between. Entry to the church itself is free; the small museum charges a token fee.