Valencia Cathedral (Venezuela)

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Facade of the cathedral

The Cathedral of Valencia or the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Help ( Spanish Basílica Catedral de Nuestra Señora del Socorro ) is a Roman Catholic church in Valencia , the capital of the Venezuelan state of Carabobo . The cathedral of the Archdiocese of Valencia en Venezuela is dedicated to the Virgin Mary . It is a minor basilica and a national historical monument.

history

Construction of the parish church at that time probably began in 1580. However, it was not completed until the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, as the wars of independence led to a standstill. The center of the Marian shrine is the statue of Nuestra Señora del Socorro, which received a canonical coronation in 1910 by decision of Pope Pius X. With the creation of the Diocese of Valencia in 1922 by Pope Pius XI. the church was elevated to a cathedral. In 1960 Pope John XXIII awarded her additionally the title Basilica minor. The Marian Shrine was founded in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. awarded the Golden Rose .

Building

The cathedral is located in the central Plaza Bolívar. It clearly shows the architectural influence of colonial architecture . After the first construction phase from 1580 to 1590, remodeling took place in 1710, 1818-1820, 1830 and 1890, when some side chapels were added. Among them are the Passion Chapel, the Joseph Chapel and the Chapel of the Virgen del Socorro with its beautiful altar.

Under Bishop Gregorio Adam Dalmau , who headed the diocese for almost 25 years until 1961, the facade of the cathedral was redesigned in 1942 and 1950, he also added a dome to the choir and built the chapel of Our Lady of Coromoto . In 2015 the cathedral was restored. The facade is framed by two bell towers. At the central portico , a total of six pairs of columns support a front gable, behind which there is a dome . The cathedral has three naves in the form of a basilica , with the chapels attached to the side aisles.

Furnishing

The cathedral is decorated with paintings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, the oldest pictures are in the Passion Chapel, wood carvings that come from the colonial era in polychrome, as well as the image of Christ on the cross together with the images of Mary and John at the foot of it. Furthermore the image of the patron saint of the city, the Virgen del Socorro, who occupies a special place in the sanctuary. Several works of art come from important painters such as Antonio Herrera Toro and Pedro Castillo, the grandfather of the painter Arturo Michelena .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Catedral Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Socorro on gcatholic.org
  2. ^ Churches with Canonically Crowned Images
  3. ↑ Image of the Golden Rose (53)
  4. ↑ a b En la Catedral de Valencia palpita el gentilicio on iamvenezuela.com (Spanish)

Coordinates: 10 ° 10 ′ 57.3 ″  N , 68 ° 0 ′ 9.7 ″  W.