The Church of La Compañía de Jesús is the most ornate building in Quito and one of the most spectacular Baroque church interiors in the Americas. Every centimetre of the interior is covered in carved and gilded decoration — twisted Solomonic columns, elaborate niches, gilded altars, painted ceilings — executed in the distinctive Quito School style that blended Spanish Baroque with indigenous Andean motifs.
The church stands on García Moreno Street, directly across from the Jesuit College, and its facade alone — three storeys of carved volcanic stone — is worth a long look before you go inside. Entry is ticketed and visit numbers are limited; arrive early or expect to queue. Photography inside the main nave is restricted but a few photos are possible in the side aisles. The restoration work of recent decades has brought the gilding back to its original intensity.