Basilica of La Merced

The Basílica Nuestra Señora de la Merced is a Roman Catholic Mercedarian monastery church in Quito's historic center, part of the UNESCO-listed old town since 1978. It holds the uncommon dual status of basilica minor and cathedral of Ecuador's Military Ordinariate — an institutional combination that sets it apart from the many colonial churches in the surrounding streets. Its baroque colonial facade fits within the densely preserved architectural fabric of Quito's old town, one of the best-retained colonial city centers in Latin America. The adjacent monastery complex adds a layer of cloistered quiet rarely found in such a central location.