Lima Cathedral
The Cathedral of Lima or the Cathedral Basilica of St. John ( Spanish: Catedral Basilica San Juan Apóstol y Evangelista ) is a Roman Catholic church in Lima , the capital of Peru . The cathedral of the Archdiocese of Lima is consecrated to the apostle and evangelist John and also has the title of a minor basilica .
history
Construction of the church in downtown Lima began when the city was founded in 1535. Francisco Pizarro laid the foundation stone on January 18 at what is now Plaza Mayor . The construction of this still simple mud brick church was completed in 1538. After the consecration in 1540, the church was elevated to a cathedral with the creation of the diocese and Gerónimo de Loayza was appointed bishop, who remained in office until 1575. After additions in 1543, the cathedral was expanded for the first time from 1546 to 1551 to the dimensions 9 × 19 m. According to plans from 1564, renovations began in 1571, but this was soon stopped due to a lack of funding.
A new attempt began in 1598 by the Renaissance architect Francisco Becerra. This reduced the planning to three naves of the same size as in the cathedral of Jáen , in 1604 the first section could be consecrated. After the vaults collapsed in the 1609 earthquake, the Renaissance vaults were rebuilt at a lower height in 1614/1615 in the Gothic style. In 1622 the first mass could be celebrated again in the cathedral, in 1625 the cathedral was consecrated. The present facade was erected in 1626.
After the earthquake of 1687, it took ten years to rebuild the vaults. In 1732 two additional portals were added. After the severe earthquake of 1746, the cathedral was rebuilt, reopened and consecrated in sections 1555, 1558 and 1778. From 1794 to 1797 today's classicist church towers were built, designed by the architect Ignacio Martorell.
Due to dilapidation, the cathedral had to be closed for renovation from 1893 to 1898. Pope Benedict XV also awarded the cathedral a minor basilica in 1921. Due to the earthquake of 1940, a restoration by Emilio Harth Terré was necessary. Pope John Paul II visited the church in 1985 and 1988 when he awarded it the Golden Rose . With the expansion in 1991, the church was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town of Lima. In 2018 Pope Francis visited the Lima Cathedral.
description
The cathedral was built in different styles through the different phases of construction, from the Renaissance to Gothic, Baroque to Classicism. On the front facade, the cathedral has three portals corresponding to its status. The Peruvian seal and the Panier Plus Ultra were affixed above the main portal, Portada del Perdón . The two high church towers with slate helmets are neoclassical with stylistic influences from the El Escorial school and from Northern Europe.
In the choir is the baroque high altar with artful wood carvings covered with gold leaf and the richly decorated choir stalls in the Rococo style. There are 14 side chapels that lead off the two side aisles. At the back there are two more entrances: Santa Apolonia and San Cristóbal. On the front facade are the sculptures of the apostles and in the middle the heart of Jesus. Next to the cathedral are the Sagrario Parish Church, one of the oldest in Lima, and the Archbishop's Palace.
In the side aisles a way of the cross is shown with large paintings. In the left aisle the old baptistery forms the first chapel. Here is a beautiful picture of the Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza , who leads the processions during Lent and Holy Week. The cathedral houses the tomb of Francisco Pizarro, among other personalities.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Catedral Basilica of San Juan Apóstol y Evangelista on gcatholic.org
- ↑ resena historica ( Memento of the original from July 20, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (span.)
- ↑ Historic Center of Lima on /whc.unesco.org (Engl.)
- ↑ The Pope's Prayer Before the Relics of the Saints in Lima Cathedral on catholicnewsagency.com
- ↑ The Cathedral of Lima: Testimony to the Spanish colonization of Peru
Coordinates: 12 ° 2 ′ 46 ″ S , 77 ° 1 ′ 49 ″ W