Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Asunción

Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Asunción was built in the 18th century and is believed, according to archaeologist Virginia Rivera Calderón, to have originally been larger than it is now. Its stone foundations, including areas where bones were found, were made with early cement mortar mixed with dirt, coal, and pebbles, and run beneath a second church built over the remains of the original wood-and-masonry hermitage. Its vault and sacristies were completed in 1787. A gate built in 1853 enclosed the church on all four sides, the tower was rebuilt in 1867, and lightning rods were installed in 1881. In 1936 a parish house was annexed. Inside, Ramón Frade León painted a mural of the Virgin of Mercy in 1945 and another of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in 1954. It is an important architectural work included in the National Register of Historic Places of Puerto Rico.

Cayey, Puerto Rico · United States