Oldest Cathedral in the New World

We visited the oldest cathedral in the new world yesterday. I thought you might enjoy a little history and some photos. Below is a bit of history taken from a local web site.

The full name of this marvelous cathedral is the Cathedral Metropolitana Santa María de la Encarnación. Originally when this church was built in 1514 it was a hut made of royal palms. It now takes up an entire block.

Diego Columbus set the first stone and since then many additions and changes have been made to the original structure. Spanish workmen began building the cathedral but left to search for gold in Mexico. This second church was much better, it was made of wood and the roof was palm branches. If there was rain there was no service. At the end of 1537 the roof was rebuilt the way we see it today. The front is dated 1540 and was completed in 1544. In 1547 the construction of the tower was stopped because it brought attention to the Fortress from marauders and people wanting to attack.

The church was worked on and designed by so many different people. This is why so many architectural styles can be seen in one building. There are Roman style arches and Gothic style vaults with some Baroque ornaments thrown in for good measure. All this only adds to the buildings originality and powerfully dominating look. It is built with the coralline blocks, as with many of the Colonial era structures, this building has been able to withstand the ravishings of time and humans both.

These are some of the pictures that I took of this amazing structure. It is amazing that they were able to construct the arches out of the coral stone. The exterior is rather plain but the interior is remarkable, especially for being over 450 years old! This huge church was air-conditioned so was a great attraction for everyone on a hot sultry day. Touring the sites here is a wonderful experience in not only the history but also the respect and reverence that the people have for their history. Those visiting the various sites are expected to be dressed modestly and appropriately. Shorts, tank tops, and revealing clothing is not appropriate. We have been impressed generally about how modest the people are here.