Church of Our Lady of the Forsaken, Lima

The Church of Our Lady of the Forsaken and of Saint Joseph (Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados y de San José), known commonly as the Church of the Forsaken (Iglesia de los Desamparados), is a Catholic church located between Venezuela Avenue and the Jirón Recuay of the main square of Breña, in Lima, Peru.

The current building is the successor of the church built between 1669 and 1671, formerly located at the first block of Jirón Áncash until its demolition in 1937 to make way for the construction of posterior garden of the new Government Palace.

Original building (1671–1937)
The original building was built between 1669 and 1671, under the reign of the Count of Lemos, then Viceroy of Peru. Owned by the Jesuits, its first stone was placed in 1669, with its construction being carried out under Manuel de Escobar (Cajatambo; c. 1640 — Lima; 1695), alarife of Lima.

According to writer Antonia Duran, its history dates back to the request for the construction of a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Forsaken made by Valencian merchant Bartolomé Calafé to the Cabildo of Lima in the 16th century, which was allowed through the grant of a terrain measured at 25 varas destined to the chapel and sacristy. Years later, Calafé's daughter, Úrsula Morales, requested more terrain, as did the Jesuit Francisco del Castillo (Jesuit) afterwards for the construction of a school for destitute children.

According to writer Jorge Bernales, the church was the favourite of the Count of Lemos, who, despite his office of Viceroy, was commonly seen sweeping the temple's street with a broom as per his humble character, and who requested that his heart be interred in the church upon his death, which was done. After its demolition, it was subsequently moved to the Convent of San Pedro.

Located between the Rímac River and the posterior face of Government Palace, it was demolished when the Palace was remodelled in 1937. A new terrain was purchased at the 12th block of Venezuela Avenue, at the Chacra Colorada neighbourhood of Breña, to house a replacement church.

New building (1945–present)
The building that replaced the original temple was designed by architect Carlos Morales Macchiavello and built between 1940 and 1945 in the Modernist style. The relics and items housed at the former church were preserved, being moved to the new building.

In 1947, the church sheltered the Virgin of the Assumption, patron saint of the city of Chacas, for almost a year. This was due to the fact that the sacred image was consumed by a fire on its platform during its patron saint's day in 1946 and had to be transferred to the capital for its restoration, after this, the altar of the temple was suitable for the virgin who came from the Andes to remain at the side of the Virgin of the Forsaken during the masses organised by the Chacasino residents in Lima in the last two months before its departure in August 1947.