Mérida Cathedral (Venezuela)

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Facade of the cathedral

The Cathedral of Mérida or the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception ( Spanish Catedral Basilica menor de la Inmaculada Concepción ) is a Roman Catholic church in Mérida in the Venezuelan Andean region of the same name . The cathedral of the Archdiocese of Mérida is consecrated to Mary under the invocation of the Immaculate Conception and also bears the title of a minor basilica .

history

Central nave
Crossing area

The cathedral is located in Plaza Bolivar, along with the Archbishop's Palace and the Diocesan Museum . It was built since the end of the 18th century for the diocese of Merida, created in 1778. The first major work began in 1803, but with the setbacks caused by earthquakes only insufficient progress had been made by 1944. In 1945, under the architect Manuel Mujica Millán, the single-minded construction of the cathedral began, which was consecrated in 1958 for the 400th anniversary of the city and was completed in 1960. In 1991, Pope John Paul II gave the cathedral the title of minor basilica.

architecture

Due to its long construction period, the church cannot be assigned to a uniform architectural style, the neo-baroque is a major influence. The five-aisled church with a large crossing dome rises on a cross-shaped floor plan . The central nave of the nave is covered with a modern supporting structure, the side aisles with barrel vaults and six small domes. The double tower facade still has two low towers, square at the base, from the original construction. The central part has a frontispiece , over the gate of which a rose window with the city coat of arms was installed.

Furnishing

The paintings in the church are by Ukrainian artist Ivan Belsky, drawings by Mario Pietroniro and Mario Gandini. Under the main altar are relics of the martyr St. Clement of Rome , the Pope Pius VI. Had passed in 1794. The church is extensively equipped with 52 lead glass windows.

Web links

Commons : Mérida Cathedral  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Catedral Basílica Menor de Inmaculada Conceptión de Mérida on gcatholic.org
  2. ↑ Catedral de Mérida: Una joya de la arquitectura religiosa de Venezuela (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Catedral de Mérida - Ciudad de Mérida (Spanish)

Coordinates: 8 ° 35 '49.5 "  N , 71 ° 8' 37.8"  W.