District
Quinchao
1730
Our Lady of Loreto
December 10th or 3rd Sunday of October
The church of Achao is acknowledged as the oldest wooden building in Chile and sets itself apart from other Chilote churches with its lavish interior, characteristic of the Baroque style. Its main vault, as well as its altars, niches, and pulpit, are adorned with intricate and colorful wooden carvings.
It is noteworthy that the patroness of Achao's church is Our Lady of Loreto, as her image is not found in any other church of the archipelago. Until recently, her origin was unknown. Historical research revealed that she came from Lake Nahuelhuapi in Argentina, where a Jesuit mission was established to evangelize the Poya people. The missionary Nicolás Mascardi received a Marian image from the Viceroy of Peru for the temple that would be built there. During an uprising, the natives killed the missionaries and hid the image of the white woman that the missionaries had brought with them. Amidst the devastation, the image was found and transferred to Chiloé, where it became the patroness of the church of Achao. At Lake Nahuelhuapi, one can find an identical replica of the image of Our Lady of Loreto, which was given to the community of Bariloche in 2006.
One of the most important celebrations takes place on January 1st with a procession in which images of the Virgins from the rural chapels of the Achao parish are carried to the town of Achao.
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