Catedral de Sal
Coordinates: 5 ° 1 ′ 7.5 ″ N , 74 ° 0 ′ 33.5 ″ W.
The Catedral de Sal ( German Salt Cathedral ) is a Catholic church in a mine tunnel and tourist attraction in the salt mine of Zipaquirá , in the province of Cundinamarca , Colombia . It has no official status as a cathedral and is not subject to any bishop , but it attracts thousands of visitors and pilgrims every week . It is part of the Parque de la Sal theme park .
Furnishing
The Catedral de Sal has a rich artistic decor, especially with sculptures made of salt and marble in a religiously shaped environment. The artistic and architectural design of the "new" Catedral de Sal goes back to the architect Roswell Garavito Pearl from Bogotá , whose work won the 1990 competition in a project of the Sociedad Colombiana de Arquitectos among 44 participants. The engineering was carried out by the engineer Jorge Enrique Castelblanco Reyes.
meaning
Today the Catedral de Sal is one of the most outstanding architectural and artistic buildings in Colombia and won the title “Jewel of Modern Architecture” ( Joya Arquitectónica de la Modernidad ) The importance of the cathedral is based on its function for cultural heritage, religiosity and ambience. In 2007, the Catedral de Sal achieved the highest number of votes in a vote on the seven wonders of the world and was therefore proposed for the list of the modern seven wonders of the world . The underground church is part of Parque de la Sal, a landscaped park dedicated to mining in the halite , geology and natural resources in the area.
location
The Catedral de Sal is located in the municipality of Zipaquirá in the province of Cundinamarca , 49 km north of the capital Bogotá at an altitude of 2,652 m above sea level . The Tren de la Sabana route is operated by the Ferrocarriles de la Sabana de Bogotá . The place is famous not only for its salt mining, but also for one of the oldest finds of rock art in Colombia in Valle de El Abra .
El Parque de la Sal
Even if the Catedral is the most famous attraction, it is part of the Parque de la Sal theme park. This park covers an area of 32 hectares and contains a unique nature reserve that contrasts with the exploitation of natural resources, which is carried out by mining. In the park, visitors can experience not only the contrast between the fragility of art and the rigors of mining, but also interesting geological observations and methods of environmental protection in cooperation with business development agencies.
The main elements of the Parque de la Sal:
- The hand-cut cross " El Eje Sacro " ("The Holy Axis" with a height of 4.2 m)
- El Domo Salino (Salt Cathedral)
- La Mina (mine)
- El Museo de la Salmuera (Museum of the brine / boiling plant), in the disused mine shafts. There, visitors can get to know the various processes of mining and salt production and get to know geological, historical and engineering information about the park and the Catedral de Sal .
- El embalse (reservoir)
- El área de bosques (forests)
- La Catedral de Sal
The Zipaquirá Salt Mines ( Las Salinas de Zipaquirá )
Alexander von Humboldt described the age and importance of the Zipaquirá salt pans in detail. He visited the place in 1801. At the beginning of his report there is a comparison of this area with the places he had visited in Europe: in Spain , Switzerland , Poland and in Tyrol . Then he explains the importance of the extraction of natural resources, especially the relevance that exists for governments in the significant financial revenues. In his book Memoria razonada de las salinas de Zipaquirá, Humboldt describes the subject of his study as it is presented in the edition and, scientific and visionary for its time, various points were of undoubted value: Humboldt rejected the idea that the Zipaquirá mine should be shared with others Formations are connected, such as the connected mines of Nemocón and Sesquilé . Estimating the capacity of the mine to be 500,000 square toesas, he criticized the manner in which the excavations were carried out and suggested that this would cause trouble in the future. He recommended promoting mining through galleries, as was done in Europe, where the rock salt mines already managed without support elements, which makes mining much more expensive.
Archaeological and geological studies have shown that the exploitation of the mines began as early as the 5th century and was one of the most important economic activities of this time, as well as having a great influence on the development of the Muisca culture in the Altiplano Cundiboyacense .
geology
The salt deposits of the Montañas de Zipaquirá were formed around 200 million years ago. They were lifted to the surface of the earth in the Tertiary and concentrated over 30 million years where they are today. Under high pressure and heat, salt behaves similarly to glaciers in that it loses its stratification and bakes into a homogeneous mass. The salt deposits formed mountains on the plateau of the Sabana de Bogotá , which makes mining easier because you can easily drive tunnels into the mountain there. Evidence of ancient mining can be dated to the time before the conquest of South America, to the 16th century.
In mining there is a tradition of keeping a chapel ready for the miners. Even before 1954 there was a chapel of the Nuestra Señora del Rosario , the Catholic Patrona de los Mineros (patron saint), in the Zipaquirá mine . The Catedral was originally three-aisled with improvised columns and dominated by a large illuminated cross. Over the years this first cathedral became unstable and closed in 1990. Today's Catedral was inaugurated in December 1995.
history
La catedral antigua
The construction of the "Old Cathedral" (Catedral antigua) began on October 7, 1950 and was inaugurated on August 15, 1954. The rooms were set up in the old galleries of the Muiscas. As early as 1932, Luis Ángel Arango had voiced the idea of building an underground chapel so that workers could pray before their working day began. The workers adorned the tunnels with figures of the saints pleading with them for protection. The mine already had four shaft floors, each 80 m in size. The Catedral Salina is on the second floor of the mountain. The basilica had a length of 120 m and a floor area of 5,500 m². It was 22 m high and was supported by six columns, each with an area of 80 m² and could accommodate 8,000 people.
In the front area of the basilica there was a large stone cross, which was illuminated from below and thus cast a large shadow on the ceiling, symbolizing Christ with outspread arms. In the right nave was the choir and the stations of the cross, which are marked with large golden Roman numerals. The chapel of the Virgen del Rosario was located in the front area of this nave , in whose altar the image of the Virgin by Daniel Rodríguez Moreno was carved into the rock . The portrait with a height of 70 cm was later moved to the new cathedral.
The left aisle was named "El Nacimiento" (The Birth) and had a grotto depicting the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem . The passage also led to the baptistery, which was marked by a waterfall, which was to commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan . The design and layout of the naves were inspired by the life and work of Jesus Christ. The created a majestic impression through the lighting effects, which conjured up a symbolic atmosphere on the walls and the ceiling.
The old cathedral was closed to the public in 1990 due to security deficiencies.
La catedral Nueva
The construction of the current cathedral began in 1991, 60 m below the Catedral Antigua. The Instituto de Fomento Industrial , the Concesión Salinas and the Sociedad de Arquitectos announced an architectural competition to acquire the best design for a new chapel in Zipaquirá to replace the old one. The design by Roswell Garavito Pearl won the competition. It included structural changes in the access tunnel, the dome and the sacristy. The new cathedral was inaugurated in December 1995.
The design consists of three main sections:
- The Way of the Cross : the entrance door leads to the tunnel in which the Stations of the Cross are located, which consist of small altars made of salt stone. Each station is marked with a cross and several kneeling benches made of salt stone. The tunnel leads to the domed hall.
- The dome (Cuppula, Dom) is at the end of the ramp leading down. From there you get to the chambers with the bas-reliefs, the balcony and the labyrinth of the narthex . The dome is dominated by the huge cross in bas-relief.
- The naves: the last section leads to the center of the cathedral, with the main halls. These structures are connected by a crevice, which symbolizes the exaltation and death of Jesus. In the middle nave is the cross with a height of 16 m, the main altar and the communion bench that separates the sanctuary from the community. On the front of the ship is the sculpture “La Creación del Hombre” ( The Creation of Man ), a marble homage to Michelangelo by Carlos Enrique Rodríguez Arango . Four huge cylindrical columns symbolize the four evangelists and these are crossed by a column, which symbolizes the birth and descent of Christ.
A separate power station and a driveway for special cases are part of the complex, which ensures the supply, maintenance and safety of the visitors.
Other systems made from salt
The Catedral de Sal of Zipaquirá is unique in the world in its combination of religiosity and culture. However, there are other tourist attractions in salt mines, e.g. B.
- Kinga Chapel in the Wieliczka Salt Mine
- in the salt mine Bad Friedrichshall a visitor mine with adventure world and a large dome hall as well as a concentration camp memorial
There are several hotels built from salt in the Salar de Uyuni , a salt flat in Bolivia .
literature
- Bibiana Cala: Los relatos populares reactivados por la institución social del turismo: el caso de Zipaquirá y Nemocón . PhD thesis. Universidad de los Andes (Colombia). Bogotá, 2000.
- Marianne Cardale de Schrimpff: Breve informe sobre unas excavaciones arqueológicas realizadas en las salinas de Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca , on: Boletín Museo del Oro ( Memento of October 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), Banco de la República, Colombia ( Memento of February 25 2007 in the Internet Archive ), No. 1, January-April 1978, pp. 39-41
- FUNDACIÓN EDITORIAL EPÍGRAFE: Reseña del libro " Memoria razonada de las salinas de Zipaquirá " by Alexander von Humboldt, Colombia, 2003.
- Louis V. GUISLETTI: Los Mwiskas. Una gran civilización precolombina . Tomo II, MEN, Biblioteca de autores colombianos, Bogotá, 1954.
- Alexander von Humboldt, " Memoria razonada de las salinas de Zipaquirá ", 1801. Ed.Fundación Editorial Epígrafe , con el patrocionio de Colciencias ( Memento of July 19, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), Colombia, 2003.
- Carl H. Langebaek: Mercados, poblamiento e integración étnica entre los muiscas - Siglo XVI . Banco de la República, Bogotá, 1987.
- Report by Alexander von Humboldt (Spanish).
Individual evidence
- ↑ CALA, Bibiana. Los relatos populares reactivados por la institución social del turismo: el caso de Zipaquirá y Nemocón (popular legends reactivated as tourism promotion). PhD thesis. Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) . Bogotá, 2000.
- ↑ El Nuevo Diario. (The New Diary) Brochure, Zipaquirá. Archive link ( Memento of the original from May 19, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá, estará en los libros Ripley y en la publicación para viajeros Condé Nast Traveler laguiacundinamarca.com, from August 19, 2016 (es)
- ↑ MARIA DEL PILAR GONZALEZ: SPA MEDICINAL EN EL INTERIOR DE LA CATEDRAL DE SAL DE Zipaquira PDF, 24 April 2020 called (it)
- ↑ "Parque de la Sal", in: Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá
- ^ Correal, Gonzalo; Thomas van der Hammen y JC Lerman 1970: "Artefactos líticos de abrigos en El Abra, Colombia"; Revista Colombiana de Antropología 14: 9-46.
- ↑ Desecha Humboldt la idea de que la mina de Zipaquirá está unida a otras formaciones como las explotadas en Nemocón y Sesquilé. Evalúa la capacidad de la mina de Zipaquirá y concluye que debe medir 500,000 toesas cuadradas. Crítica la manera en que se ha abierto la excavación, y señala que la manera como se hace será un inconveniente para su explotación en el futuro. Recomienda que la explotación se efectúe por medio de galerías, como se hace en Europa, ya que las minas dedicadas a la explotación de sal gema no requieren de galerías apuntadas con madera, lo que las haría más costosas.
- ↑ Memoria razonada de las Salinas de Zipaquirá, author Humboldt, Alexander von, 1769-1859 banrepcultural.org, accessed on April 24, 2020 (es)
- ↑ Carl H. Langebaek, 1987: Mercados, Poblamiento e integración Étnica entre los Muiscas -siglo XVI. Banco de la República, Bogotá
- ↑ Cardale de Schrimpff, Marianne, Breve informe sobre unas excavaciones arqueológicas realizadas en las salinas de Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, En: Boletín Museo del Oro ( Memento of October 15, 2009 in the Internet Archive ), Banco de la República, Colombia ( Memento of 25 February 2007 in the Internet Archive ), No. 1, January-April 1978, pp. 39-41
- ↑ Information on the page Catedral de Sal of the Coordinación Comercial, Zipaquirá, Colombia.
- ↑ Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá - 2004 ( Memento of September 28, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Historia del Parque de la Sal, En: Catedral de Sal, Zipaquirá, Colombia.
- ↑ Cracow Salt-Works Museum Wieliczka ( Memento from May 14, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
