Cathedral of St. Joseph (Liepāja)
The Cathedral of St. Joseph ( Lat. Svētā Jāzepa Katedrālē ) in the Latvian port city of Liepāja ( Libau ) is the episcopal church of the Roman Catholic diocese of Liepāja . The representative neo-Romanesque church was built in the years 1894 to 1900 according to plans by Louis Melville (1837-1915). built. With the establishment of the Liepāja diocese in 1937, it was elevated to the status of a cathedral.
history
A small baroque parish church for the city's Catholic minority was completed in 1762. After just a few decades, it was no longer sufficient for the growing community; however, the authorities did not give permission for a new church. Finally, the old church was included in an "extension", which was in fact a new building.
Architecture and equipment
St. Joseph's Cathedral is made of yellowish Gdansk bricks and is richly structured with decorative elements. The floor plan is basilical , but deviates from the classic scheme. The three-aisled nave opens into the choir and the high round apse in the south . The choir is extended on both sides with multi-storey round-arched galleries to form a kind of short transept. The actual transept, however, is to the north, near the portal facade. Its eastern arm contains the old baroque church, now the Marienkapelle . The high, striking main tower with a square substructure and an octagonal upper floor stands on the west arm. It corresponds to four smaller towers that flank the main portal and the choir. Inside, the walls and vaults are completely painted with neo-Romanesque scenes and ornaments. The original altars and stained glass windows have also been preserved.
Web links
- Panoramic photo of the interior and brief description (Latvian)
- Panoramic shot of the old church, now part of the cathedral
- Basic information (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Latvian Ludvigs or Luiss Melvils - He also designed the old market hall immediately adjacent .
Coordinates: 56 ° 30 ′ 18.1 ″ N , 21 ° 0 ′ 27.1 ″ E