Nuestra Senora Reina de Los Angeles
Type: Religious Sites
10Best Says
Iglesia Nuestra Senora Reina de Los Angeles â" or as it is often called La Placita â" means "the church of our lady queen of angels." The oldest church in Los Angeles, it is located in the... Read More
Iglesia Nuestra Senora Reina de Los Angeles â" or as it is often called La Placita â" means "the church of our lady queen of angels." The oldest church in Los Angeles, it is located in the "little plaza" downtown known as El Pueblo, where the settlement of Los Angeles began. This small Roman Catholic church founded in 1784 and completed in 1822, the church has suffered repeated damage because of earthquakes, with rebuilding required. Always on the same original site, the church as it stands now dates to 1861, still one of the oldest structures in all of Los Angeles. With its traditional California mission-style architecture, the church hearkens back to much simpler times. The altar inside is gilded in gold sections, that highlight the paintings on the wall, adding to the simplistic beauty and old-country feel of the church.
EXPERT TIPS BY:
Jenny Peters
Los Angeles Local Expert
- Historic Churches: "On an adjacent street to the church, Olvera Street is the Avila Adobe, which is the oldest house still erect in Los Angeles."
- Best for Historic Churches Because: With all masses held in Spanish, this daily house of worship remains true to its roots, originally built by Spanish missionaries in the 1700s.
