The Church of the Society of Jesus, known in Quito simply as La Compania, is the outstanding Baroque monument of the Ecuadorian capital and one of the most elaborate in South America. Its facade is carved from local volcanic stone, with twisted Solomonic columns, saints in niches and a dense ornamental programme that takes the eye a long time to exhaust. Inside, the effect is total: vaults, arches, pulpit and altarpieces are covered in gold leaf over carved wood, catching every candle and every shaft of daylight, while paintings and polychrome sculpture from the Quito school complete the ensemble. The church stands within a historic centre inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The episode gives the interior the time it needs, using 4K to hold on gilded surfaces and carved detail, and explains how a missionary order deployed art as an instrument of persuasion.
