Leon Cathedral (Mexico)
The Cathedral of Leon or Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Mother of Light ( Spanish Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Luz ) is a Roman Catholic church in León in the Mexican state of Guanajuato . The cathedral of the Archdiocese of León is consecrated with the patronage Mary of the Light of the Blessed Mother Mary and also has the title of a minor basilica . It is protected as a historical monument under the number 03295.
history
Construction of the church began in 1764 when the Jesuits returned to the city after a year. With the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767, construction came to a standstill at a height of about eight meters. The building remained in this state until the 1830s, when the Obregón family resumed the work supported by Pastor José Ignacio Aguado. In 1842, several members of the city council requested the cooperation of the neighbors to continue the work. In 1855 some repairs were made.
The Diocese of León was founded on February 21, 1864 with the new Bishop José María de Jesús Diez de Sollano. This raised the church to a cathedral. By then the vaults had been completed (1833–1837), the first section of the east tower was restored (1864), and the main bell, weighing 4.5 tons, was cast in January 1866. The main dome over the crossing with a height of 42 m was designed by Manuel Gómez Ibarra and combines different styles with many neoclassical elements. It was built by Herculano Ramírez until August 1865. The cathedral was consecrated on March 17, 1866 before completion.
The church was renovated between 1885 and 1889 by Luis Long and later in 1902 by Ernesto Brunel on the occasion of the coronation of the image of Mary . The image of the Holy Mother of Light , which is in the main altar today, came to León as a donation from the Jesuit Juan Antonio Genovesi from Palermo, Italy. On August 5, 1920, the cathedral was given by Pope Benedict XV. the fourth church in Mexico to be awarded the rank of minor basilica . On Sunday, March 25, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Vespers with the bishops of Mexico and Latin America. It was his first fair in Mexico.
architecture
The double tower facade is completely clad with quarry stone, adorned with pilasters and cornices with elegant moldings. It has two portals with pairs of Corinthian columns . Above one is a pediment, which is interrupted in the middle by a medallion with a relief of two angels holding the monogram of the Virgin.
Because of its location, the cathedral has a rather small atrium , surrounded by a low stone wall on which an iron latticework rests, with three entrances at the front with ornate iron gates. On its left side there is a statue of Pope John Paul II on a small base . The two towers consist of four identical parts. The east tower was completed on January 19, 1876, the west tower in 1878, each with a height of 70 meters. They wear the church bells, a carillon, and a large clock.
A Latin cross with a length of 72 meters and a width of 13 meters forms the floor plan of the single-nave church . The transept extends from the crossing with its dome , at the ends of which stand two altars dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and the Virgin of Guadalupe . Six other altars are arranged in the nave, three on each side. The beautiful and dazzling interior in the classical style and the stained glass windows from Munich should be emphasized.
The main marble altar with monolithic columns houses the Madonna portrait. Originally the church had a wooden altar, but in 1889 it was replaced by the first stone one designed by Luis Long. In 1902, this was in turn replaced by the current altar designed by Ernesto Brunel, made with Italian Carrara marble , granite from Tennessee and gilded bronze. It was installed in the new apse added to the existing choir , over which a further dome was built. Most of the building is decorated in a neoclassical style.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Luz on gcatholic.org
- ↑ Archdiocese León (span).
- ↑ Homily of his Holiness Benedict XVI Cathedral of Our Lady of Light, León (Engl.)
Coordinates: 21 ° 7 ′ 27.1 ″ N , 101 ° 40 ′ 54.8 ″ W.