La Jalca Grande

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In January 2022, WMF announced funding to support emergency response and restoration efforts in the Peruvian town of La Jalca Grande, struck by a 7.5-magnitude earthquake.
Location
La Jalca, Peru
Action following a Devastating Earthquake

On November 28, 2021, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake struck the region. The earthquake severely damaged La Jalca Grande’s local church—one of the first churches built in the northeast of Peru—causing the collapse of its freestanding tower.

In response to the earthquake, the Peruvian Ministry of Culture requested help from World Monuments Fund (WMF) through its Crisis Response Program, which seeks to provide critical support to communities to protect and restore their irreplaceable cultural places in the aftermath of natural disaster, conflict, and other extraordinary disruptive events.

 

Immediate Intervention

 

In January 2022, WMF announced funding to support emergency response and restoration efforts in La Jalca Grande.

The destruction caused by the earthquake required a highly specialized response. The tower, which was reduced to rubble, requires immediate reassembly to ensure its proper reconstruction and prevent the loss of key elements. The remaining fragments and existing documentation offer sufficient information to allow for a complete recovery of the unique architectural design, the rough and irregular texture of its surfaces, and associated finishes.

 

A Plan for Restoration

 

WMF committed its support to the structural, geological, conservation, and social components of the technical dossier led by the Executive Unit N° 8—Special Projects of the Ministry of Culture. The final technical dossier was approved on December 4, 2023, by the Technical Commission of Chachapoyas. The restoration work will extend to the church itself, with an emergency plan to stabilize cracks and address other conditions. Current weather patterns underscore the need for immediate preventive measures that will protect the structure from precipitation. Additional interventions may include the reinforcement of the roof, the releveling of sloping floors, and the comprehensive conservation of the high altar.

Aerial view of the historic church at La Jalca Grande, 2021.

News & Updates

Crisis Response Program

In the aftermath of crises, World Monuments Fund works to safeguard cultural heritage, ensuring our treasured places are preserved for present and future generations.

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Our Supporters

World Monuments Fund’s work at La Jalca Grande has been made possible, in part, by support from WMF's Crisis Response Fund.