The Church of La Compania de Jesus is the most dazzling of Quito’s many colonial churches, a masterpiece of Baroque architecture whose interior is almost entirely covered in gold leaf. A ticketed visit reveals an astonishing golden nave, ornate carvings, painted ceilings and Moorish-influenced details that took over 160 years to complete. One of the most beautiful churches in the Americas and a jewel of the Spanish colonial art of the Quito School, it is a breathtaking sight and a highlight of the historic old town, unmissable for its sheer, glittering splendour.