Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of La Serena - the largest temple in the city, located on the northeast side of the Plaza de Armas.

The cathedral was built on the site of the former temple Matrix El Sagrario, partially burnt pirate Bartholomew Sharp, which was the first temple erected in La Serena in 1549. In 1840 the old church was demolished completely, and four years later in its place began construction of the Cathedral. With the construction of the new building of the temple was used by most of the construction materials left after dismantling the old. Construction of a new church in neo-classical style, 60 meters in length and 20 meters in width, with three naves was completed in 1856. All 12 years of construction, the project oversaw the French architect Juan Herbedzh.

The walls of the temple built of limestone, with a checkerboard floor ornament - black and white marble. The main highlight of the cathedral three reinforced steel roof supported by columns of wood, concrete and limestone. The vaults are decorated, but painting was not completed. The wooden roof covered with galvanized iron. The magnificent stained glass windows were made in France. In the temple, and two marble four wooden altar. Big body, which still sounds in the cathedral, was donated in the late XIX century, philanthropist and patron Joanne Ross Edwards. The dome tower was built in 1912 by the French architect Eugenio Giannone. Near the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament has a passage to the crypt. The cathedral houses the remains of Francisco de Aguirre (1500-1581) - the founder of the city and other public figures of the time.

In 1981, the Cathedral of La Serena has been declared a national monument of Chile.