Robslpy · CC BY-SA 3.0Catedral de San Lorenzo
Paraguay's only neo-Gothic cathedral, built between 1919 and 1968, keeper of a clock from the 1850s.
What it is
San Lorenzo Cathedral takes up a whole city block, surrounded by squares and gardens, between Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia, San Lorenzo, Coronel Romero and Avenida Defensores del Chaco. Its neo-Gothic style makes it unique in the country. It belongs to the Diocese of San Lorenzo. A curious detail: it keeps an old clock from the 1850s, originally installed in Asunción Cathedral in 1851 by the English engineer Henry Godwin.
What to see and do
- The neo-Gothic façade and towers
- The clock from the 1850s
- The squares surrounding the church
Did you know…?
Its neo-Gothic style is unique among the country's major churches.
The clock it houses made its way from Asunción Cathedral to San Lorenzo.
History
Works ran from 1919 to 1968, almost five decades. The project changed in 1919, when Father Saturnino Rojas, inspired by Belgian Gothic, persuaded the building commission to adopt the neo-Gothic style. The architect was Luis Navarro.
Tips
- On the patron saint festival, 10 August, the area around the cathedral gets crowded.
- Respect mass times when entering.
Check opening hours before you go. Hours depend on mass times.
Best time: Mornings; 10 August, San Lorenzo's day.
Activities
Festivals and events here
Nearby
San Lorenzo · Central
San Lorenzo, la Ciudad Universitaria
A city founded in 1775 on a Jesuit estate, home to the UNA campus and a neo-Gothic cathedral unique in the country.
Fernando de la Mora · Central
Kamba Kua (comunidad afroparaguaya)
Descendants of Artigas's lancers have kept the drums and the feast of San Baltasar alive since 1820.
Fernando de la Mora · Central
Parque Ecológico de Fernando de la Mora
A small municipal park of about 2 hectares, with natural paths and capybaras, next to the Campo Grande stream.
Capiatá · Central
Museo Mitológico Ramón Elías
The Pombero, the Kurupi and the Luisõ turned into sculpture: Guarani mythology as imagined by Ramón Elías.
Capiatá · Central
Capiatá
A colonial-era church dedicated to Our Lady of Candelaria and a museum of Guarani myths, right on Route PY02.
Asunción · Asunción (Distrito Capital)
Mercado de Abasto de Asunción
The capital's biggest municipal market: 11 hectares of fruit, vegetables, meat, medicinal herbs and much more.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.