Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus (Church of the Society of Jesus), Cordoba

Iglesia de la Compañía de Jesús is a key colonial church linked to the Jesuits in Argentina. Built in the 17th century, it stood at the centre of a larger complex with residences, teaching spaces, and the Colegio Máximo. In 1613, the Colegio Máximo became the basis of Argentina’s oldest university. The church and nearby Jesuit buildings are now part of a UNESCO-listed historic ensemble.

One of the church’s main features is its wooden vaulted roof, designed by Philippe Lemaire like an inverted ship’s hull. Its load-bearing structure relies on Paraguayan cedar beams, wooden joinery, and flexible interlocking parts, showing the influence of naval construction. Behind the church, the Domestic Chapel preserves another unusual technique, with taguaro cane, rawhide, plaster, and animal-bone pigments.

Inside, visitors can observe the gold-leaf altarpiece and carved decoration associated with Jesuit artistic networks. European Christian imagery is mixed with local craftsmanship, especially in Guaraní carving. Native plants and animals appear within Baroque decoration, creating a Mestizo Baroque style. The church’s construction was also supported by Don Manuel Cabrera, from an early colonial family.