The Parroquial Mayor del Espiritu Santo is one of Cuba's oldest and best-preserved churches. The original church on this site was built in 1522 and made of wood construction but was rebuilt in 1680 in stone. Today the Parroquial Mayor del Espiritu Santo is a Romanesque and baroque design. Its massive bell tower is visible from much of Sancti Spíritus, and though its interior is sparsely decorated—a carved wooden ceiling and a blue-and-gold wooden arch framing a simple altar—it's extremely well preserved. The church is also famous for the sermon of Fray Bartolome de las Casas that he delivered here, and became the beginning of his effort to help the Amerindians.