Cathedral of La Plata

The Cathedral of La Plata, dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, is the largest Roman Catholic sanctuary in the city of La Plata in Argentina. This Neogothic edifice is located in the geographical center of the city, facing the central square, Plaza Moreno, and the City Hall.

Inspired by the European cathedrals of Amiens and Cologne, its plans were drawn by architect Ernesto Meyer under the direction of city planner Pedro Benoit. The cornerstone was laid in 1884.

Restoration and completion

In the 1930s, fearing that the foundation had been underestimated, workers halted construction. The spires were left unfinished and the exterior brick work was left undressed. In the mid 1990s, an ambitious plan of restoration and completion was carried out. The 1990s plan included the following:

*Strengthening the foundation.

*Reversing the damage in the bricks and joints.

*Completing two spires, six turrets, 200 pinnacles, and 800 needles.
*Installing a 25-bell carillon.

Once the bricks were restored, the decision was made to leave them undressed. The building's exposed-brick exterior is thus unusual to some extent, and it makes La Plata Cathedral resemble Gothic churches in northern Europe (e.g. Uppsala Cathedral in Sweden). The refurbishment was inaugurated to the public in the year 2000.

With its towers rising 367 feet, this is the tallest cathedral in the Americas, followed by the Cathedral of Manizales (347 feet tall), the unfinished Santuario Guadalupano de Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico (projected height: 344 feet tall) and New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral (328 feet tall).

ee also

List of highest church naves

List of tallest churches in the world

External links

*es icon [http://www.catedraldelaplata.com Official site]
*es icon [http://palacioachinelly.wordpress.com/desde-la-catedral/ Excursión a la Catedral de La Plata]

Videos

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuafFthmR6E Catedral de La Plata] (YouTube.com video)

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5huy3FyZqw Catedral de La Plata] (YouTube.com video)