The church may be overshadowed by the more famous Cathedral and Iglesia de la Compañía, but La Merced contains one of the city's most priceless treasures—the Custodia, a solid gold container for communion wafers more than a meter high and encrusted with thousands of precious stones. Two of the city's most famous conquistadors are buried here—Diego de Almagro and Gonzalo Pizarro. Rebuilt in the 17th century, this monastery, with two stories of portals and a colonial fountain, gardens, and benches, has a spectacular series of murals that depict the life of the founder of the Mercedarian order, St. Peter of Nolasco.
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