The Church of Corazón de María in Magdalena del Mar

Among the beautiful and numerous churches of Lima, there are several that stand out. The Heart of Mary Temple in Magdalena del Mar is one of them. There are several reasons for this: most churches in Lima have a rectangular design, often with three aisles, with a front façade that contains the entrance portal and, above all, has representative purposes.

Because of the dangers of the earthquake, churches are often low and squat. The Corazón de María Temple is quite different: the church is the highest sacral building in Lima, with the octagonal tower and the dome, an autonomous geometric structure designed from all sides. The entrance in front reminds of a temple with its pillars. The church was built in the 1950s by Simón Llobet, inaugurated in 1956. Due to its dome it is also called by the residents of Lima “La Cúpula”. It is the point of reference of the district and an important religious place for the population.

The green dome, surmounted by a statue of the Virgin Mary at a height of 70 meters, rises well beyond the surrounding buildings. The statue is not, as you might think, made of stone, but fiberglass and resin, is the work of artist Fredy Luque Sonco de Arequipa.

These materials were chosen for the restored church. The statue planned for 1956 was made of concrete and, as it turned out, was too heavy for the dome. Therefore, the church remained without jewels at the top, until the restoration was completed in 2006.

The facade of the church is decorated with pink, white columns, cornices and window frames that give structure to the building. The effect is colorful, but still simple. In fact, it is reminiscent of the sacred Renaissance Italian buildings. What it does not have, however, is a long ship behind the rounded entry area. Thus, Corazón de María, with its arrangement and asymmetrical surface, continues to be a small and compact church; the interior can be seen well if one stands in the middle of the room and throws a look around.

Inside, golden, blue and red colors predominate. Paintings cover the walls. The church is exuberant, but it is not overcrowded. At the top, under the dome, which stretches across the space of the red benches like a vault of heaven, daylight enters the interior through the windows, as well as to the sides.