The Cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of La Serena is the biggest temple in the city, is located on the northeast side of the Plaza de Armas.

The Cathedral was built on the site of the former temple of the matrix al-Sagrario, partially burned by the pirate Bartholomew Sharpe, which was the first temple erected in La Serena in 1549. In 1840, the old Church was completely demolished, and four years later in its place began construction of the Cathedral. During the construction of the new building of the temple was used most construction materials remaining after dismantling the old one. The Church was built in neoclassical style, 60 meters in length and 20 meters in width, with three naves was completed in 1856. All 12 years of construction, the project was supervised by the French architect Juan Herbage.

The walls were made of limestone, floor chess ornament - black and white marble. The main highlight of the Cathedral were three reinforced arch supported by columns of wood, concrete and limestone. The vaults are decorated, but the painting was not completed. Wooden roof covered with galvanized iron. Magnificent stained glass Windows were made in France. In the two marble temple and the four wooden altar. Largest organ, which can still be heard in the Cathedral, was donated in the late nineteenth century philanthropist and philanthropist Joanne Ross Edwards. The dome of the tower was erected in 1912 by the French architect Eugenio Gannon. Near the chapel of the blessed sacrament there is a passage to the crypt. The Cathedral houses the remains of Francisco de Aguirre (1500-1581) - the founder of the city, and other public figures of that time.

In 1981, the Cathedral de La Serena was declared a national monument of Chile.