Popayan Cathedral
The Cathedral of Popayán or Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption ( Spanish Catedral Basílica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción ) is a Roman Catholic church in Popayán , Colombia , located on the west side of the Caldas Park in the historic center. It is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Popayán with the patronage of the Assumption and the additional title of a minor basilica .
Previous buildings
After the city of Popayán was founded in 1537, it was here in 1546 according to the bull Super specula militantis Ecclesiae by Pope Paul III. the diocese of Popayán. The only existing church with a simple thatched roof became the cathedral. After attempts in 1557 by Bishop Juan del Valle and in 1575, the new cathedral, which was built from bricks, was consecrated on December 17, 1594 in what is now Caldas Park. The cathedral was supported by the king with 18,000 pesos and by the parishioners of the diocese with 30,000 pesos. It was completed in 1609. The church tower was not erected until 1682, financed by Bishop Bernardo de Quiroz. This second cathedral had the baptismal font under the tower, the chapel of souls and the burial chapel of the García de Lemos family were on the north side. The chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was the burial place of the Velasco family. Next to the episcopal house was the chapel of Santa Bárbara, patron saint of the diocese, and the chapel of San Pedro was in front of it. All of these chapels were built after the earthquakes of 1736 and 1751 to increase the stability of the cathedral. Despite the repairs carried out in 1772, the church was in poor shape, with cracks and leaks. It was laid down the following year after the earthquake of 1784.
The third cathedral was commissioned by the Bishop of Ángel Velarde y Bustamante in 1788. It was not until May 30, 1819, that Bishop Padilla laid the foundation stone. The work was soon stopped due to the consequences of the Battle of Boyacá and did not resume until 1856.
cathedral
The foundation work that had begun was leveled in 1856 and the foundation stone of today's cathedral was laid, the construction of which was started by Serafín Barbetti and Adolfo Dueñas. The civil war of 1860 interrupted the work again. Only Bishop Ortiz resumed the project in the 1890s, which was redesigned by the Italian architect and Franciscan brother Serafín Barbetti.
In the time of Bishop Manuel José de Caicedo, the architect Adolfo Dueñas Lenis was responsible for the technical management of the work and built the dome . On June 12, 1906, the cathedral was completed. The facade in the classical style, its 40 m high dome over the crossing and the interior in the French style are impressive . An organ made in Paris was consecrated on December 12, 1909, at that time one of the best in South America.
In 1953 the cathedral was remodeled, and on April 25 of the same year Pope Pius XII awarded the cathedral also has the title Basilica minor . In addition, the historic district of Popayan with the cathedral was declared a National Monument of Colombia in 1959. In 1978, under Bishop Samuel Silverio Buitrago, various measures were implemented to furnish the church . The decorations were improved with baroque altar pieces, among other things, and the organ was also renovated as part of the restoration work.
On March 31, 1983, Popayán was hit by a strong earthquake that also collapsed the cathedral's dome. The church of La Milagrosa was temporarily the episcopal see while the reconstruction work on the basilica was carried out. Pope John Paul II visited the cathedral in 1986.
See also
Web links
- Archdiocese website (span.)
Individual evidence
- Jump up ↑ Diego Castrillón Arboleda: Muros de Bronce: Popayán y sus estancias históricas, humana y territoriales, 2007
- ↑ Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción on gcatholic.org
- ↑ Law 163 of 1959
Coordinates: 2 ° 26'29.1 " N , 76 ° 36'23.3" W.