Santo Domingo Cathedral
The Cathedral of Santo Domingo or Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Annunciation, Primary Cathedral of America ( Spanish Basílica Catedral Metropolitana Santa María de la Anunciación Catedral Primada de América) is a Roman Catholic Church in Santo Domingo , capital of the Dominican Republic . It is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo and consecrated to Mary , the Mother of God with the patronage of the Annunciation . It was the first church in the New World and, as part of the colonial city of Santo Domingo, has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990 .
history
The cathedral was commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1504 . Construction began nominally in 1512 under the direction of Bishop Fray García Padilla . Bishop Alexander Geraldini came to the island in 1519 and laid the foundation stone for today's late Gothic cathedral in 1521. The building was built by Luis Moya based on plans by Alonso Rodriguez from Seville . In 1523 the construction continued until the consecration in 1541. On February 12, 1546, Pope Paul III. At the request of Emperor Charles V, the church was given the status of metropolitan church and appointed Primate of the Americas. Francis Drake used the cathedral as his headquarters when he conquered the city in 1586, thus saving it from destruction. In 1920 Pope Benedict XV bestowed the cathedral the title of minor basilica . Pope John Paul II visited the Church in 1979, 1984 and 1992.
architecture
The three-aisled hall church is clad with a gold-colored facade made of coral limestone . The church combines Gothic and Baroque elements with some splendid Plateresque styles , as shown by the high altar carved from silver. The massive limestone walls and cross vaults are remarkable. Of the three main doors, two are Gothic and the third main door is Plateresque. There are six side chapels on each aisle. The length of the basilica is 54 meters, the width of each of the three aisles is 23 meters, the height of the vaulted ceiling is 16 meters, and the total area is 3000 square meters. All the side chapels were not included in the building's original floor plan, but were added later.
Funerals
Many bishops and presidents are buried in the cathedral, and the first cardinal of the Archdiocese, Octavio Antonio Beras Rojas, was buried in the crypt . The remains of Christopher Columbus were buried in the choir in 1540 . Under French rule in 1795 it was at least partially relocated to Havana and then to the Cathedral of Seville . In 1990, bones were reburied in the lighthouse in Santo Domingo. While the authenticity of the few bones in Seville has been clarified, the bones in Santo Domingo have never been examined.
Treasury
In the treasury there is an excellent art collection of old wood carvings, furniture, grave monuments, silver and jewelry.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Colonial City of Santo Domingo on whc.unesco.org (Engl.)
- ↑ a b Basílica Catedral Metropolitana Nuestra Señora de la Anunciación (span.)
- ↑ Basílica Catedral Metropolitana Santa María de la Anunciación on gcatholic.org
- ↑ Catedral Primada de América on santodomingotourism.com (Engl.)
- ^ Tomb of Christopher Columbus in Seville knerger.de
Coordinates: 18 ° 28 '37.4 " N , 69 ° 53' 8.8" W.