Visit the Catedral Primada de América

The construction of the cathedral was ordered in 1504 by Pope Julio II, but it wasn't until 1514 that the first stone was set by Diego Columbus. It was the arrival of Bishop Alejandro Geraldini in 1519 that accelerated the construction work.

Unfortunately, On March 8, 1524, Geraldini died without finishing the construction. At his death, he was buried in the pre-ministry of the temple, and one of his closest collaborators had a mausoleum built in one of the church's chapels, where he now rests. The construction was finished in 1541. The design and construction work was carried out by Luis De Moya and Rodrigo de Liendo. In 1920, Pope Benedict XV named it Basilica Menor de Santa María.

The imposing Catedral Primada de America is considered by some to be one of the most beautiful architectural works in the Americas. A mixture of different architectural styles, the cathedral displays elements of the Renaissance period, but the Gothic, Plateresque and Mudejar influences are clear. Built with limestone and brick, the cathedral is over thirty thousand square feet and the highest part is 50 feet high.

The Cathedral has three access doors - see if you can tell which two are Gothic and which is in the Plateresque style. One of the doors opens out onto Columbus Park, where there are hundreds of pigeons keeping a bronze statue of Christopher Columbus company. The cathedral has fourteen chapels, each adorned with Saints, biblical scenes, paintings and furniture of great artistic and historical value. It also has a lofty bell tower and central dome.

Written by Nora Pérez.

Published August 2020