Jauja: Historic Center and Festivities

Jauja combines a historic cityscape with an annual calendar of religious and patron-saint festivals. In the Zona Monumental, colonial history and modern elements coexist in the architecture and urban spaces; preserved colonial houses reflect the city’s history and historical memory. Building history, the design of the square, and festival dates offer different ways to explore Jauja.

Iglesia Matriz: History and Architectural Style

The Iglesia Matriz de Jauja was recognized by the Instituto Nacional de Cultura as immovable historical heritage under Resolución Jefatural No. 515, dated August 11, 1989. It is part of the historic center of Jauja, which was declared a Zona Monumental under Resolución Directoral Nacional No. 906, dated December 17, 2003. Under this resolution, the Zona Monumental de Jauja is registered as Cultural Heritage of the Nation.

The church was built around 1565, after Jauja was relocated from the Inca administrative center of Hatun Xauxa, in what is now the district of Sausa, to its present location. Its construction therefore took place about 30 years after Francisco Pizarro founded the city. This sequence connects the church’s origins with Jauja’s relocation to its present site.

Architecturally, the Iglesia Matriz features an Andean Baroque style with Neoclassical modifications, giving it a distinctive design in the valley. These named stylistic elements add a specific architectural feature to the picture of its history.

Plaza de Armas and Zona Monumental

The Plaza de Armas was redesigned in 1921. The new design included a regular layout, green spaces, and a central bandstand. Together with the preserved colonial houses and notable historic buildings, the design of the square shapes Jauja’s historic center. In the Zona Monumental, architecture and urban spaces bring together colonial history and more modern elements.

The Iglesia Matriz is opposite the Plaza de Armas. The route from there to the church is listed as 0.10 kilometers, or about a two-minute walk. The Capilla Cristo Pobre is approximately 800 meters from the Plaza Principal, a walk of about ten minutes. When finding your way, note the stated starting point for each route: the Plaza de Armas for the church, and the Plaza Principal for the chapel.

The Capilla Cristo Pobre is also part of the Zona Monumental de Jauja as a component of its cultural heritage. It was included under Resolución Jefatural 906/INC, dated December 12, 2003. The church and chapel thus offer two distinct historic points of reference within the monumental zone.

Religious and Patron-Saint Festivals Throughout the Year

The Iglesia Matriz de Jauja hosts religious and patron-saint celebrations every year. The festivals listed include:

• the Feast of San Sebastián, January 18–20;
• Holy Week, whose dates vary and which falls in March or April;
• Corpus Christi in June;
• the Feast of Señor de la Justicia on the third Saturday in June;
• the patron-saint festivals of Virgen del Rosario and Virgen Chapetona on the first Sunday in October.

During the festivities, the Plaza de Armas and the main streets of the Zona Monumental are decorated for civic and religious celebrations. The calendar combines fixed dates with month-long and seasonal time frames. If you want to plan your trip around Holy Week, check the exact date for that year: the festival’s date varies, and it falls in March or April.

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