The Iglesia de la Matriz is the oldest parish in Valparaíso, first built in 1559 in the port's original settlement at the bottom of the hills. The current building — the fifth on this site, completed in 1842 — anchors the Plaza Matriz, a rough-edged square that was once the commercial heart of the city.
The neoclassical church sits in the middle of one of Valparaíso's grittiest neighborhoods, surrounded by street vendors and peeling facades. Inside it's calm and plain, with a wooden ceiling and a carved image of the Lord of the May, brought from Lima in the 17th century and still venerated today. The plaza outside comes alive during religious festivals, especially around Easter.
Getting here means walking downhill through Cerro Santo Domingo, one of the oldest hillside neighborhoods. It's not the most polished part of town, so keep your wits about you, but it's worth the visit for a sense of where the city began.