Basílica del Voto Nacional
The Basílica del Voto Nacional (Eng .: Basílica of the National Vow ) or Basílica Sagrado Corazón de Jésus, Patrono del Ecuador (Eng .: Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Patron Saint of Ecuador ) is a Roman Catholic Church in the historic center of Quito , Ecuador . It is the largest neo-Gothic basilica in America. It belongs to the Archdiocese of Quito and has the title of a minor basilica .
history
The basilica emerged from the idea of Father Julio Matovelle in 1883 to build a monument to the consecration of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of Jesus . President Luis Cordero issued the decree on July 23, 1883, which was implemented on March 5, 1884 by President José María Plácido Caamaño . Congress released an annual budget of 12,000 pesos for construction, 1,000 pesos a month, beginning in 1884. With the decree of July 3, 1885, the fourth Provincial Council of Quito transformed the construction of the basilica into a religious commitment on behalf of the country. In 1887 the Sacred Heart Missionaries received the approval of Pope Leo XIII. for the construction. The Oblate Fathers gave the land for the basilica. In order to continue the construction, the believers donated stones for the construction of the church and were given their names engraved in the stone. In 1895, the state instituted a salt tax to keep construction on the building.
In 1901, Father Matovelle and his missionary congregation took over the building at the request of Archbishop Pedro Rafael González Calisto . The building was designed by the architect Emilio Tarlier on a budget of 40,000 francs. Tarlier was inspired by Bourges Cathedral . The foundation stone was laid on July 10, 1892 . The Chapel of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was built between 1892 and 1909 . With the help of donations, the basilica was essentially completed in 1924. She was blessed by Pope John Paul II on January 30, 1985 , and was consecrated on July 12, 1988. In 1991 she was raised to the rank of minor basilica .
description
The basilica is the most important work of neo-Gothic architecture in Ecuador and is one of the most representative of America. It is the largest neo-Gothic basilica in the New World. The building is known for its gargoyles in the shape of native Ecuadorian animals such as armadillos , iguanas, and Galapagos tortoises.
The basilica is 140 meters long and 35 meters wide. It is 30 meters high in the choir and 15 meters in the votive chapels . The transept reaches a height of 74 meters, the two towers are 115 meters high. The basilica is the second tallest church in Latin America after the Maringá Cathedral . Fourteen bronze pictures of eleven apostles and three evangelists hang in the choir. In the crypt there is a pantheon as the burial place of several heads of state:
- Antonio Flores Jijón (1833-1915)
- Andrés F. Córdova (1892–1983)
- Mariano Suárez Veintimilla (1897–1980)
- Camilo Ponce Enríquez (1912–1976)
Visitors can climb to the top of the towers. From the highest point of the main tower you can see the city and the surrounding mountains.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Basílica Sagrado Corazón de Jésus, Patrono del Ecuador in gcatholic.org
Coordinates: 0 ° 12 ′ 54 ″ S , 78 ° 30 ′ 26.6 ″ W.