Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament (Colonia del Sacramento)
The Basilica of the Blessed Sacrament ( Spanish Basilica de Santíssimo Sacramento ) is a Roman Catholic church in Colonia del Sacramento , Uruguay. The church in the Diocese of Mercedes is consecrated to the Holy Sacrament and has the title of a minor basilica . Although it has been rebuilt several times, it is considered the oldest church in Uruguay. As part of the old town of Colonia del Sacramento, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
history
The parish began with a first clay church. This was originally a simple farm from 1680, the year the city was founded. In 1699 a new church was built with stone and lime on behalf of the Portuguese governor Sebastian de Veiga Cabral. During the wars of the various colonial powers Spain, Portugal and England, the building was repeatedly badly damaged and rebuilt by Vasconcellos with a cross-shaped floor plan. After the bombing in 1777, a new church was built in colonial style according to plans by Tomás Toribio, which was consecrated in 1810. This church was almost completely destroyed in 1823 by a lightning strike and the exploding ammunition in the sacristy, as Charles Darwin also reported about the ruin in his travel diary. It was rebuilt between 1836 and 1841.
In 1976 a major renovation took place under the architects José Terra Carve, Antonio Cravotto and Miguel Ángel Odriozola. In 1995 the church was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the historic city center of Colonia del Sacramento. In 1997 the church was elevated to a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II .
architecture
The church retains the original concept of a single nave flanked by side chapels with Portuguese stone and brick masonry walls and covered with a barrel vault. It is characterized by its wide walls, its altars and its beautiful carvings. Also of note is an altarpiece from the 16th century. From the previous buildings, a baptismal font, a Spanish wooden altar and a crucifix carved by the Indians of the Jesuit missions and a figure of St. Francis of Assisi have been preserved.
literature
- Fernando Chebataroff, César J. Loustau: Uruguay: la herencia ibérica en arquitectura y urbanismo
- Historiografía iberoamericana: arte y arquitectura (XVI-XVIII): dos lecturas , Centro de Documentación
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Basílica do Santíssimo Sacramento on gcatholic.org
- ↑ Historic Quarter of the City of Colonia del Sacramento on whc.unesco.org
- ^ Sobre Colonia del Sacramento
Coordinates: 34 ° 28 ′ 15.9 ″ S , 57 ° 51 ′ 3.3 ″ W.