Cathedral of Lima

Infobox religious building
building_name = Cathedral of Lima
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caption = Cathedral of Lima at night.
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location = Lima District, Lima, Peru
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religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic
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status = Basilica
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year_completed = 1538
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The Basilica Cathedral of Lima is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the Main Plaza of downtown Lima, Peru. It started its construction in 1535. It has been transformed many times, but it still conserves its colonial composition and facade.

Description

From outside, there are 3 doors on the front facade, like any other cathedral. The main facade (the middle one) is called "Portada del Perdón". There, at the top is inscribed the Peruvian seal, instead of Lima's coat-of-arms and the phrase "Plus Ultra".

There are also 14 lateral doors; one of them is in front of "Calle de Judíos" (Jewish street) and the second one next to "Patio de los Naranjos" (Orange tree yard, connected to the Cathedral). At the back there are 2 more doors: "Santa Apolonia" and "San Cristóbal". At the front facade are sculptures of the Apostles and in the middle, the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Next to the Cathedral are the "Parroquia del Sagrario" (one of the oldest ones in Lima) and the Archbishop's Palace.

Inside, along the lateral salons you can see big pictures of the "Via Crucis". John Paul II visited this church twice (1985 and 1988). This is commemorated with signs at the entrance.

At the left salon we can see, in the first chapel, the ancient baptistery. There you can see a beautiful image of "Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza", who presides over the events during Cuaresm and Holy Week. During a recent restoration, ancient pictures were found in this chapel that are now able to be seen by the public.

The next chapel is "Capilla de la Sagrada Familia" (chapel of the Holy Family), featuring figures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Timeline

The following chronological data is based on the work of the priest Antonio San Cristóbal. [es Arzobispado de Lima, [http://www.arzobispadodelima.org/iglesias/catedral/datos.htm Catedral de Lima] , Retrieved February 15, 2008]

January 18, 1535: The conqueror Francisco Pizarro placed the first stone and carried over his shoulders the first log used in the construction of the Cathedral. The chosen location is between the Main Plaza and the "Street of the Jews" ("Calle de Judíos", in Spanish).

1538: The construction of the first church is completed. It is primitive, small and rustic.

March 11, 1540: The church is officially inaugurated by Francisco Pizarro.
May 14, 1541: A papal bull of Pope Paul III, "Illius Fulciti Praesidio", designates the church as a Cathedral, by creating the diocese of the City of the Kings. The Cathedral now becomes part of the assigned region of Saint John the Evangelist ("San Juan Evangelista" in Spanish) and stops depending on Cusco.

1542: It undergoes some improvements, additional structures over the terrain are built, donated by García de Salcedo.

September 17, 1543: The Bishop Jerónimo de Loayza signs the "Lima Cathedral Construction Act" and elects its council.

February 12, 1546: The church is upgraded to Metropolitan Church, and by that "The Kings" becomes an Archdiocese. This is done by the papal bull Super Universa Orbis of Pope Paul III.

1551: Inauguration of the second Cathedral, by the Archbishop Jerónimo de Loayza.

1564: The Archbishop Jerónimo de Loayza assigns the task of redesigning the Cathedral (to make it like the Cathedral of Seville in Spain) to Alonso Beltrán.

1572: Work on the third Cathedral starts by demolising the adobe walls, but the project was quickly abandoned because of the high cost.

1598: The Renaissance architect Francisco Becerra reduced the plans to only 3 salons, plus 2 chapels. Works on the third Cathedral are reinitiated.

February 2, 1604: The Archbishop Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo inaugurates the first part of the third Cathedral.

1609: An Earthquake destroys the vaults of the recently built structure.

1614-1615: The old Renaissance vaults are rebuilt at a lower height in a Gothic style.

August 15, 1622: First Mass in the finished third Cathedral.

October 19, 1625: The Archbishop Gonzalo de Ocampo consecrates the third Lima Cathedral.

1626: Juan Martínez de Arona and Pedro de Noguera designed the main portal as it is today.

1687: Another earthquake destroys the vaults of the Cathedral.

December 7, 1697: Reconstruction of the Cathedral finishes and it is officially inaugurated.

1732: Two additional portals are built.

1746: An Earthquake destroys vaults and pillars.

May 29, 1755: The first part of the rebuilt Cathedral is inaugurated.

December 8, 1758: The second part of the rebuilt Cathedral is inaugurated.

December 8, 1778: The Archibishop Diego Antonio de Parada inaugurates the renovated interior of the Cathedral.

1794-1797: Construction of the current towers of the Cathedral, designed by the architect Ignacio Martorell.

January 17, 1893: The Cathedral is closed because it is in dire need of restoration.

January 7, 1896: Internal renovation works are begun.

January 6, 1898: Inauguration of renovated Cathedral.

1940: Earthquake. Restoration by Emilio Harth-Terré.

2005: New lights.

ee also

*Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima

References

External links

* [http://www.arzobispadodelima.org/iglesias/catedral/ La Catedral de Lima] website by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lima